The End of Team Rocket
by Crestilia
Summary: After his journey in the Kalos Region, Ash Ketchum is back in Kanto with a new goal: to stop a certain international crime syndicate that has been annoying him for, how long, now? With an overpowered Pikachu and a terrible sense of direction at his side, the Pokemon Trainer is on his way to a load of inconvenience...and Team Rocket trouble. (Art: Lillian Smith; Beta: InfernalFox)
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Pokemon.**

 **I'm going to say this outright. My work kinda sucks at the beginning. To be honest, I wrote this chapter _years_ ago (hey, I was like, 12 to be honest) and had no idea what I was doing, so please, _spare me._ It gets better later, I promise. Every few months or so, I come back and try to edit these first few chapters, but...yeah. There's always room for improvement. If you really want to, you can skip to the latest chapter and decide whether the fanfic is worth reading or not.**

 **Aw, whatever. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ash didn't really think much of his accomplishments.

Once he won the Indigo League, almost everyone he knew was in disbelief. No one expected the kid who once _pulled his Pikachu around on a rope_ to win first. Even Professor Oak, who continuously forgot that Ash was indeed not ten anymore (and this led to his Pokedex being incorrect every time he entered a new region), agreed that Ash had become stronger: both in battling and personality.

But as of now, the Trainer was taking a walk in the nearby forest with his childhood friend Gary Oak, talking about politics.

"Ash, no one really knows how the Jenny family became police officers and the lawmakers practically everywhere," the other Pallet Town-native was explaining, an exasperated look plastered on his face. "They're just...there, and I guess we all accept it."

"Then they should receive more training. No offense to them, but they always believe I'm breaking the law or something. Then, when Team Rocket shows up, they always lose and rely on me."

"So you're calling them incompetent?"

"More or less."

"There's a reason Team Rocket is still around, you know." Ash's old rival shrugged, fiddling with a strap on his backpack. "I have no idea how Giovanni gets so many grunts, but seriously, they're _huge_ now, ever since you practically disbanded all those other baddies."

Ash was confused. "Wait, what!?"

"You saw Team Rocket in Unova, right? Maybe they have more regional branches now. And there _are_ those three idiots constantly following you practically everywhere you go."

"True…but it's not my fault that they keep getting lucky. I'm not that easy to track down, right?"

Gary shrugged, ignoring his friend's question. Squinting at the setting sun that cast down hues from orange to violet, he crossed his arms in an interested disbelief. There was no way time passed that quickly. "Let's get back home. We can discuss your horrible luck _another_ time," he suggested, pointing to the path that led back to the town on the other side of the trees.

Ash stuck out his tongue immaturely. "My luck is perfectly fine. What are you talking about?"

The Pokemon Researcher in question shook his head in amusement. "Your stories about legendary Pokemon, of course. And that's like, once a month. Seriously, most people live their whole lives without seeing a single Moltres."

"But," Ash gave a sheepish smile, "that's boring…"

"You've even seen Arceus like twice!" Gary exclaimed.

"Actually, if you count time travel, it was more like—"

"You know what, I think I'm done with you."

"Hey, that only happened—"

Gary interrupted again. "Like five times. I get it." With that, he gave a devious smirk and started running down the hill to Pallet Town.

"Smell ya later!" resonated through the forest.

Ash wanted to correct him on the number, but when he saw his friend already halfway down the hill, laughing, started to run as well to catch up. He would correct Gary later, maybe after some dinner. But as of now, his stomach was growling.

* * *

That night, Ash was deep in thought as he laid awake, sprawled out (at least, as much as he could) on his old, cramped bed meant for a nine-year-old kid, staring holes into the ceiling. Next to him, Pikachu was curled up in a fetal position, asleep, and the young Trainer saw no need to wake him up.

His mind kept wandering to the conversation he had with his rival that evening.

Team Rocket was still out there, but Kanto was still turning a blind eye. It was...a bit strange.

Earlier that year, Ash had won the Indigo Plateau Conference, as the youngest Pokemon Conference winner, ever (or, probably a long time). As a Trainer just a few years under Virgil the Eeveelution Trainer, he wasn't sure he was ready for the Elite Four, or anyone as powerful as them. For now, his goals consisted of training, saving the world (which was more incidental than planned), more training, and...traveling.

Giovanni was clearly the Gym Leader of Viridian City - even though it had been publically revealed that he had retired - but at times it seemed like _a mere teenager_ was the only one who knew the actual identity of the Rocket Boss. He told Iris, as well as Cilan, Cynthia and that other guy...Riley? Rudley? Oh yeah, Ridley. But the Unovians and Sinnoh Champion didn't really understand the threat Team Rocket posed in Kanto.

Ash was thinking of going to the next region soon, but...it could wait.

The Trainer recalled his experiences with the Lumiose Conference, Team Flare, Greninja, Serena…and of course, his faithful partner Pikachu, remembering the extent of a Pokemon Gang's potential.

But then again, Team Flare had actually been eradicated (or, at least, it seemed that way). Team Rocket...not so much. He figured that since their plans in Unova had been ruined, the Pokemon Gang had lost a bit of money that had gone into the organization.

In Kalos, it seemed that Team Flare had integrated itself into the region to the point that Lysandre Labs was supporting the very economy of the region. The Trainer wondered if Kanto's native Pokemon Gang did the same.

With hours of sleepless contemplation, it was decided. To prevent the Unovian crisis from happening again, Ash was going to do something about Team Rocket.

And travel some more, of course. An adventure was always something to look forward to.

* * *

The next morning, the Pokemon Trainer went (more like, ran) to the corral to see his Pokemon. It was still very early in the morning, and even Mimey the Mr. Mime wasn't awake as the sun peeked through the horizon.

"Ash!" a familiar voice called out, awakening the teen from his thoughts. "What's up?"

"Oh, hey Gary. I'm thinking of going on another journey," Ash replied, surveying the morning activities of various Pokemon around the ranch.

"Which region is next?"

Ash patted his sleeping, newly-evolved Meganium on the head and cast his eyes to where Oshawott was showing off to an unamused Snivy.

"I think I'm going to be staying around Kanto for a while, so I need a team," the Trainer answered nervously, rubbing his nape sheepishly. It was pretty obvious that he'd never considered bringing Pokemon other than his Starter on new adventures. "Hey Gary," he said, "should I take Noctowl?"

"Up to you," the Researcher replied, "but I thought you only take Pikachu whenever you travel."

The Indigo Plateau Champion's face seemed to light up as he bent down to greet his Bulbasaur. "I mean, it's not like I'm going to catch anyone new."

"You know," Gary spoke up as he looked around the ranch, eyes landing on his Pinsir and Umbreon playing in the distance. "I'm thinking of traveling a little as well, especially after all those cold fronts in Sinnoh. Maybe we can meet up sometime?"

Ash didn't hear his friend; he was busy thinking. _'Or should I take Infernape and Torterra? They need some motivation but won't go anywhere without each oth—'_

"Ummm, Ash, you awake?" Gary asked as he saw his old rival seemingly doze off.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm up. And sure, we might meet up sometime."

The Pokemon Researcher watched as the other teen walked through more of Oak's corral, greeting his Pokemon with a smile. Pikachu stayed at his side with a lost expression on his face.

"You're confused as well, huh," Gary guessed, directing his concern at the Electric-Type. Despite the way Ash usually acted around strangers, the other Pallet Town Trainer knew that his friend was more of a loner than anything. Over the years, he had perfected the art of lying and keeping problems to himself, which was a horrible habit.

"Chu…"

The Electric-Type continued to follow Ash and Gary as they strolled past more Pokemon in the corral.

"Hey Gary, do you think I should bring Gible along? I have a feeling he'll be pretty useful."

"What are you planning to do?" the Researcher asked, curious about his friend's plans, but annoyed at the time it took for the other Trainer to choose his Pokemon.

Ash shrugged, looking pensive. "I need a prepared team, though."

Gary looked back at Pikachu. "Why do I even bother?" he sighed.

"Pika-chu…"

* * *

Ash had finally made his decision.

"Is this why you never take any old Pokemon to new regions?" Gary asked, lounging on a couch while his friend paced around the laboratory room.

"Sure. I think three Pokemon will be fine for now, but I might ask your grandad to transfer some more, later. What do you think?"

"You seem confident in your choice. Is three hours enough time, or do you need another five just to finalize your team?" the Pokemon Researcher teased his friend.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Do you think Charizard and Sceptile might get into an argument somewhere along the trip?"

"Here we go again…"

"Pikapika."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop," Ash chuckled, fanning himself with his cap sheepishly before putting it on Pikachu's head.

Professor Oak chose that moment to walk in. "It's lunchtime. Would you two boys like anything in particular?"

"Nah," Ash declined as he stood up. "I just need to stop by the storage to pick up some Pokeballs."

"That was _not_ what he meant…" Gary muttered to himself.

At least Pikachu seemed glad about going on another adventure.

* * *

"Hey Gary, what are the specific rules about carrying Pokemon? Is it against the rules or anything to have more than six?"

"I'm pretty sure you can have more than six, although most Trainers only carry that much. Something about how seven Pokemon can limit the amount of love a Trainer can give. Plus, most of the Professors don't like it when people have more than six, so they set some rules. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing."

Ash _could_ carry everyone, but realized that he would have to deal with the safety of his younger members. The Trainer trusted all of his Pokemon but knew that they would have to fend for themselves if anything happened.

* * *

"Bye Ash, see ya!" Gary called from the edge of Pallet Town.

"You too! Bye!"

The Kantonian realized that he forgot to tell his friend that he would be gone for awhile, but decided against going back. Most of his journeys took a year, anyway.

"Pika?" Pikachu, perched on his Trainer's shoulder, was still confused about his Trainer's new adventure.

"Oh, that's right, I haven't told you about the plan. Well, we're going to attack a few Team Rocket Bases. Sounds good to you?"

"Pikapika pika-chu."

Ash smiled back confidently. "Team Rocket has done so many horrible things. It's time that they were disbanded, or at least weakened. I might not be strong enough to single-handedly defeat them, but the challenge is nice, right? It's something I at least want to do before our next region."

"Pika-chu." The yellow Pokemon, as usual, supported his Trainer.

After a few more minutes of silence, Ash came up with a suggestion. "Why don't we stay in the Viridian Forest for a while, and find a place to train? We can get a lot of practice done." When Pikachu gave him an amused look, the Trainer rolled his eyes. "We won't get lost, I promise."

He glanced at Pikachu again before giving up. "Okay, fine. We'll get lost, but we'll find our way out eventually."

With that, the duo entered the woods and traveled until they found a large clearing to stay.

* * *

 **AN: Welcome to the not-so-wonderful world of my own imagination.**

 **By the way, I lied earlier. I never edit chapters. My chapter 2 AN will say otherwise, but don't believe me from...a long time ago. That was back when I was motivated.**


	2. Chapter 2

"He's gone out?" Delia Ketchum - mother of one strangely unconventional Trainer - exclaimed in surprise before realizing that her boy ran off annually like it was a family tradition or something. "Typical Ash. Don't worry, Gary. I'll scold him when he gets back."

"Mime mime!" Mr. Mime cheered as he raised his broom, delighted that the upstairs bedroom had just become open for sweeping.

"Alright, just letting you know," the Pallet Town Trainer replied, smiling politely. "I'll be leaving too, so I can keep an eye out for him."

"Working hard on your dissertation, right?" the woman asked.

"Yup. If Castelia University likes my work, I might be on my way to becoming a Pokemon Professor."

"That's great!" Delia marveled. "Just like your grandfather. The Oak family has a reputation for being productive, you know?"

"I think all Pallet Town families have a knack for productivity, ma'am."

"You're talking about Ash, right? The Lumiose Conference finals were obviously rigged, but the poor boy refuses to hear any of it. In my opinion, he just doesn't want to make a scene, you know?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure," Gary replied sheepishly, knowing that Ash's mother was still a little sensitive about the last Pokemon League her son attended. Of course, the Researcher would make sure to ask his friend about it later, although he knew that the other teen wouldn't give a straight answer.

Not wanting to further incite the woman, he said his goodbyes and left.

* * *

Pikachu, Charizard, and Sceptile had been let out of their Pokeballs for dinner, and the Pallet Town Trainer had noticed that they seemed to gradually relax whenever he released them from their red and white capsules. Pokemon were naturally adapted to the outside environment, and the Trainer had begun to recognize the convenience of having them walk along the dirt path with him, especially since the activity could be considered as stamina practice for all of his Pokemon. Well, except for his spoiled Pikachu, who loved his shoulder, but whenever the Trainer got a chance, he was able to bribe the yellow rodent with ketchup into exercising as well.

He also enjoyed having Sceptile as an alarm clock rather than his faithful Mouse Pokemon. Rather than being shocked awake, it was much better to be shaken back and forth, especially since it wasn't as painful as the former. And Pikachu continued to get stronger each day, so there was no break for the poor teen.

Most of all, Ash liked the training that he and his Pokemon had done while walking through Viridian Forest. He had finally realized that there were more functions to Pokedexes other than scanning Pokemon for short blurbs and movesets. Pikachu had given him a weird look as he tried to scan a tree ( _" Beedrill: the Poison Bee Pokemon…"_) and a Trainer walking in the opposite direction ( _" Pokemon not identified, please try again"_).

The moveset function was perhaps the most useful function of his 'dex.

"You still know Volt Tackle?" Ash asked his Starter in surprise. "I thought you forgot it after we practiced Electro Ball so many times!"

"Pikapika." The Electric-Type replied with a smirk, which probably meant that he had learned the move again last night. After all, it was basically a combination of Quick Attack and Thunderbolt, just...slower. Right?

"Sure, I'll go with that. Can this thing recognize rocks?" the Trainer asked, waving his Pokedex at a particularly large stone like a Delphox would twirl its stick.

* * *

Pikachu crossed his arms, scolding his Trainer.

"I did _not_ break it," Ash argued.

"Pika-chu."

"Very funny. The GPS function hasn't been working since we got back to Kanto."

"Pika, pika-chu."

"I mean, we're not in Kalos anymore," the Trainer reasoned. "But hey, look on the bright side. The National Pokedex still works, and so does my memory chip. That's more important than the stupid GPS, right?"

"Pika-pika." The Mouse Pokemon didn't sound convinced.

"Fine. At least we have my…" Ash trailed off.

"Pikapi?"

"Darn. I left my Pokegear back at the house. Oh well, no use in going back…"

* * *

"Pika-pika."

"Scep."

Charizard softly growled, turning away from his companions and crossing his arms.

"Scep-tile."

Ash turned around at the sound of his Pokemon arguing but decided that it wasn't important.

"Pika! PIKA!" The yellow mouse emphasized.

The Grass-Type started laughing.

* * *

"Charizard, Fire Blast, but try not to scorch any trees! Sceptile, deflect with Leaf Storm! Focus the leaves and move the flame upwards!"

Ash watched as the Hoenn Starter's tornado of leaves collided with Charizard's in a disconcerting explosion. The fire burned through the leaves and hit the Grass-Type with full force, charring both the Forest Pokemon and the surrounding grass. Ash grimaced, but both he and his Pokemon knew that training wasn't ever easy, especially since half of the Trainer's strategies didn't seem usable until they were actually called upon during a battle. Charizard had resorted to swatting stray leaves away unsuccessfully with his arms, and even Pikachu had stopped firing his own Thunderbolt to watch the spectacle as a flock of Pidgey dispersed from the towering trees.

"Charizard, Sceptile, focus your moves and control where they go after they come out. It'll add unpredictability, and yes, I've seen it done before so you have no excuse not to learn. Have variations to each attack. No two Leaf Storms should look alike, and Charizard, your Fire Blast should not collapse in on itself after a Grass-Type move takes out half the fire. Now Pikachu, attack me again. No, I don't want a Thunderbolt. I want a Thunder."

Pikachu fired, and Ash was able to jump out of the way a split second before it scorched the ground.

"C'mon, not fast enough! And just a bit more."

"Pika-pika. Pika-CHU!"

"Just make your Thunderbolt stronger and no one will know the difference. Thunder is pretty unreliable anyway."

Pikachu tried again, and it hit Ash again, scorching his left sleeve. The Pokemon Trainer, used to the feel of Pikachu's electricity, shrugged the pain off.

"Remember Unova?" he asked his Starter. "That Electro Ball was awesome. I know you were charged up, but just saying, I want your electricity to be on that level. You're already stronger that any Raichu I've seen, so let's get you powered up a bit more, 'kay?"

"Pika-CHU!" A bolt of electricity shot out again, electrocuting the Indigo Plateau Champion again.

"Alright, that was better. Is it just me, or are your Thunderbolts more powerful when you're around Team Rocket? You send them flying off every week or so."

"Pikapika. Pika-chu."

"I'll pretend that was a valid excuse."

After a few more Thunder-sized Thunderbolts (Pikachu had improved a little), Ash yelled, "Switch!"

Charizard flew over to where his Trainer was, gave a quick nod, and dosed him in a powerful Flamethrower.

"You've gotten stronger since Unova, haven't you," complimented a slightly charred Ash.

The giant lizard growled in agreement, head high.

"Okay, Charizard. Let's work on your agility. You've been having bulky opponents for way too long. I want you to run after me," Ash proposed as he pointed to a grassy, steep hill, "and try to use Flamethrower on me as many times as possible. Oh, and don't burn anything but me. Alright?"

The Fire and Flying-Type growled the affirmative. Or, at least, the Trainer _thought_ it was affirmative. (Honestly, it was most likely some kind of sarcastic remark with the words 'you' and 'idiot' in the same sentence.)

With that, Ash took off.

They raced up the hill, and the teen picked up the pace whenever he sensed Charizard coming close, scolding him jokingly whenever he tried to fly into the air to gain an advantage.

Sceptile's Leaf Storm almost hit both Trainer and Pokemon as they climbed the hill for the umpteenth time, and Charizard directed his Flamethrower downhill for a few seconds, pausing only to roar in annoyance at the sparing Pokemon. It made the teen smile as he was reminded of the old times when Squirtle, Pidgeot and even Primeape and Butterfree were around.

As they were running up the hill again, Ash was exhausted and didn't notice a small piece of rock jutting out from the ground as the gradient got steeper. He tripped, fell, and realized that Charizard had fired another Flamethrower. Instinctively, his arms shot up, attempting to shield himself from the worst of the heat.

The blast never came.

When Ash finally opened his eyes, he suddenly realized how tired he was, and his hands dropped on the grass, head lolling. Pikachu and Sceptile had stopped their battle and were both rushing towards their Trainer as fast as they could.

Ash had no idea what was going on, but when he was finally fully conscious, he was lying in a patch of uncharred grass next to a river near the campsite, hat missing, with an overwrought Mouse Pokemon messing around with his hair.

"Hey, Pikachu...what's up?"

"Pikapika, pika-chu."

Ash tried to get up but was devoid of any energy.

"Pikapi! Pika-pika!" the Electric-Type scolded.

"I'm fine, Pikachu. Go back and train," the Trainer muttered, and soon closed his eyes, falling asleep.

* * *

By the next time Ash regained consciousness, Pikachu, Charizard, and Sceptile were sending powerful attacks at each other. The Indigo Plateau Champion smiled at the sight of arguably his three strongest Pokemon battling. In each step they took, the Trainer could see himself and his unorthodox strategies, like the teen was commanding them himself. Every second of the dodge-and-attack game was planned to be unpredictable. A perfect mixture of attack power, battlefield control, and using an opponent's own strategies against them.

Finally, the young Trainer found his strength and pulled himself shakily onto his knees before kneeling at the river to wash his face.

Ash blinked a few times in surprise as he gazed at his distorted reflection in the water. For just a second, it seemed like his eyes had turned just a little lighter than they were supposed to be. The Trainer blinked again, and for another split-second, his eyes flashed a brilliant blue before returning to their original color.

Pikachu, Charizard, and Sceptile had taken a break, unaware that Ash was awake, and the teen proceeded to sit up, combing the nest of his raven-black hair to the best of his ability. He assumed that his overwrought Pikachu had been sleeping on it again. Of course, it wouldn't stay put, but Ash had to make it at least presentable. Impressions were important, and Ash had learned that from Day 1 of his Pokemon Journey.

 _'Aura,'_ Ash realized. _'That must've stopped Charizard's Flamethrower. And it's the reason I'm so exhausted…'_

The Trainer didn't understand how the revelation came to him so quickly, but decided to ignore it. He was about to pass out again.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu was suddenly running towards him, followed by Charizard and Sceptile.

"Hey guys," Ash greeted, a bit sheepish. "Sorry about training. It wasn't any of your faults, just mine, I promise."

His Pokemon visibly relaxed a little.

"Well? We should eat something, right?" the Trainer asked, trying to lighten up his solemn-looking Pokemon. "There are probably some berry trees by the campsite, and as long as the forest Pokemon don't mind, I think we can take some. Besides, I'm starving."

Charizard grunted, and Ash climbed on his back, letting the Flame Pokemon fly him back to the campsite.

* * *

"Scep-tile," the Grass-Type muttered as he munched on an Oran Berry.

"It's good, isn't it?" Ash asked as he leaned against a tree, trying to ignore the fact that he was feeling terribly lightheaded.

 _'How long have I been out?'_ he asked himself, remembering Aura, and how he had used it at the Tree of Beginning. After the adventure in Cameron, Ash had slept for days (not literally) because he was just _that_ tired. Brock, May, and Max were nice enough to stop and rest before continuing the journey, although they seemed a little skeptical of their traveling companion's excuses for suddenly being so sleepy.

Aura was the life force in every living thing and tended to reflect a person's disposition. Ash didn't know much about the mysterious power (other than the fact that Riley from Sinnoh was known to be one of the Aura Guardians) but now regretted pushing it to the back of his mind while he traveled through Hoenn and Sinnoh. To be honest, he'd forgotten about it by the time he stepped off the plane to Unova. But now wasn't the time to think about either...right?

Psh, it probably wasn't important anyway.

"Pika-chu, Pikapi?" Pikachu was suddenly right beside his Trainer, holding up another berry for him to take.

"Seriously, you know I can get my own food, right?" Ash asked, rolling his eyes in both amusement and annoyance.

"Pika-chu," came the exasperated reply.

"I'm not complaining, though. You guys make great servants."

* * *

The next few times they trained, Ash directed his Pokemon with his eyes closed.

"Pikachu, dodge Charizard's Flamethrower, then come in from behind and use Thunder Armor. Sceptile, I want you to form a Counter Shield with Leaf Storm. Don't let Pikachu get close to Charizard but attack both of them at the same time. Charizard, I want you to get through Sceptile and try to Mega-Punch Pikachu as many times as possible."

An outline of blue flashed in front of his closed eyes, barely outlining the figures of his Pokemon sparring before it went dark again. The Trainer couldn't help but feel a little spark of joy, although a wave of exhaustion ensued.

"Pikachu, spin on your Iron Tail as you touch the ground. You can avoid lower sweeps and kicks better with that," the teen suggested. "Good job. Charizard's just trying to pound the grass now. Don't do that, Charizard. Sceptile, you know you can attack from inside the Leaf Storm, right? Try a Bullet Seed!"

Ash knew that he was tiring quickly, but focused on keeping the Aura Sight functioning (to be honest, it wasn't working very well). But it might be useful in the future, so he would have to practice his talent to the best of his ability so that it would be easier when it actually became important. After all, that's how he trained his Pokemon.

"Sceptile, your Leaf Storm still has some holes. Yes, I can see your face right now."

"Scep. Scep-tile."

"Make your leaves swirl faster. A little more...now, Bullet Seed at Pikachu and Charizard! No, don't slow it down. Make your Bullet Seed powerful enough to get through the Leaf Storm." A pause. "If _you_ can get through your Leaf Storm, Pikachu can too. Faster! And Charizard, that's not a Mega Punch. No, I refuse to believe that you'll be able to hit Pikachu with _that_ stance. See? I told you. Pikachu, Electro Ball! Nope, that did too much damage."

That left his Pokemon wondering how an attack could do 'too much damage.'

"Sceptile, once you stop your Leaf Storm, your stats go down!"

"Scep. Scep-tile."

"Nope, not lying! It's happened before!"

And to himself, Ash muttered, "I really need to teach you guys some better movesets. But I'm just so tired…"

* * *

Umbreon, it's getting dark. Let's rest for a little, okay?"

"Bree."

Gary was in Viridian Forest and was headed towards Pewter City to check their nearby caves for Evolution Stones. And, of course, to do some research.

When the dense foliage lessened to reveal a city surrounded by rock, both the Pokemon Researcher and his Umbreon found themselves at their destination.

"Hey look! The Pokemon Center is just up ahead. We can sleep through the night there."

"Bree, bree."

* * *

 **AN: I tend to edit old chapters. A lot. You can probably see it in the way some of the sentences somehow get longer, or how the dialogue seems different somehow. New chapters come out every week (I hope), but in my free time, I'll be editing older chapters because my writing sucks sometimes (ahem, more than sometimes). Every few months or so, if you're bored, go ahead and read from chapter 1 again (if you actually enjoy my writing). I'm pretty sure at least a few things will be different.**

 **Please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm only doing this once (so you better remember):**

"Talking."

 _'Thinking.'_

 _"Pokemon Talk, Aura, Telepathy."_

 _"_ _Pokedex/TV/Electronics._ _"_

* * *

"Pikapika! Pika-chu!"

"Hmmm, what—owww!" Ash complained as he tried to blink off sleep, giving groggy looks at the Pikachu jumping up and down on his stomach.

"Pikapika, Pikapi!"

"Where's Sceptile?" the Trainer groaned. "He's much better than you are at this."

 _"It's no use complaining now! Get up or feel my Thunder!"_

Ash shook his head and blinked off his sleepiness, feeling the aftereffects of last night's Training. It took a few seconds before he sat up, realizing what just happened. "Pikachu?" he asked. "Can you repeat that?"

 _"I told you to get up."_

Ash gave his Starter a dumbfounded stare.

"What, did I do something?"

* * *

 _So you're telling me that this 'Ore' stuff, whatever it is, can make you understand us,"_ Ash's Fire and Flying-Type concluded, looking at his Trainer with a hint of curiosity.

"It's _aura_ , Charizard. Or-ah. And yeah, sure, but I think it takes up a lot of energy."

 _"So like a week ago, when you suddenly passed out, it_ _wasn't_ _Charizard's fault?"_ Sceptile asked. Ash could almost hear the disappointment in his slightly raspy (like the rubbing together of brown, autumn leaves) accent.

"Nope."

 _"See, I told you,"_ Pikachu drawled as he rolled his eyes at the Flame Pokemon, who grunted in response.

"So I guess you guys'll have to help me learn this Aura business now. Honestly, I've been putting it off for way too long," Ash shrugged, ignoring his Pikachu.

 _"Huh?"_ Charizard asked.

"Aura can be used for fighting as well. You've seen Aura Spheres before, haven't you? Well, if I can bend Aura to my will, then I may just be able to do much more than an Aura Sphere."

 _"Still don't understand."_

 _"Of course you don't,"_ Sceptile taunted as he leaned against a tree, twig in his mouth.

 _"Is that a challenge?"_ Charizard roared.

"Woah, stop it, you two. Pikachu, can you explain?"

 _"I'm having too much fun watching."_

"Sure you are."

* * *

 _Kiddies! We're landing soon!"_ a high-pitched shrill echoed through the Mount Moon caverns. _"Only a few hours left!"_

A pause. _"And don't forget to say 'thank you' to the Zubats for their help!"_

* * *

That afternoon, Ash, Pikachu, and Sceptile were lounging in the branches of some trees, watching Charizard fly in circles and fire his Flamethrower into the sky.

 _"He's always so condescending, and it's really annoying,"_ Sceptile ranted as he continued to stare at the Flying-Type making a figure-eight above.

Pikachu gave the Grass-Type a funny look, and Ash couldn't help but look away as he tried not to laugh. He didn't want to ruin Sceptile's ego any further, but his Pokemon could run a comedy show.

 _"Hey look,"_ Pikachu pointed to a Pidgey-Pidgeotto flock passing by. _"It's the local flock."_

Ash turned to look at the cooing Bird Pokemon, then at Pikachu in his lap, who was giving his Trainer a subtle smirk.

"Wait a second, what are you-"

 _"Who dares to interrupt my flock?!"_ a high, feminine voice hollered from the sky.

Ash blinked, and almost missed the Brave Bird aimed straight at Charizard. The Fire-Type barely dodged, and before Ash could stop him, charged back with a Flare Blitz. The Trainer shook his head in minor exasperation, reminding himself to teach Charizard to use more conservative moves to start battles in the future. The attacks collided and the sound of the explosion reverberated into the air, causing the vision of both the Trainer and his spectating Pokemon to be obscured from shockwave that shook the trees violently below. Ash had to hug a branch in order to avoid falling off.

When the smoke finally cleared, Ash found Charizard facing…a very familiar-looking Pidgeot.

 _'Arceus...is that_ _my_ _Pidgeot?!'_ he asked himself, before realizing that the forest was going to be destroyed before the fight ended.

 _"Looks like the fat lizard has himself into a problem,"_ Sceptile commented with an amused chuckle.

Ash, on the other hand, was afraid of the potential aftermath of the duel. "Charizard, Pidgeot! Please stop this instant!"

He should've known that they were too engaged in their battle to hear him.

 _'Aura,'_ Ash realized, _'but that won't help...would it?'_

Up in the sky, Charizard and Pidgeot had engaged in a heated argument between blows.

 _"Who says I was attacking your flock?"_ the Flame Pokemon roared as he clashed Wing Attacks with Pidgeot.

 _"This is my airspace and I advise you to leave!"_

 _"Make me, I insist!"_ the Fire-Type challenged.

 _"You cannot defeat me! I have been the protector of this forest for years, and I won't succumb to a weak scoundrel like you!"_ Pidgeot screamed as she used Gust, not stopping to consider the familiar face engaged in a duel with her.

The Pokemon Trainer continued to watch the fight in a panic. He was pretty sure that both Pokemon could handle themselves perfectly well, but Viridian Forest, on the other hand…

Flare Blitz and Brave Bird collided in another explosion of attacks.

 _"Charizard! Pidgeot! Stop!"_ Ash's voice rang in the minds of both Pokemon as excitement of the discovery overflooded him. He inwardly thanked Arceus that telepathy worked. If it hadn't, then the Trainer would've had to rush a few hundred Pokemon to Nurse Joy.

 _"And now you use trickery to subdue me?!"_ Pidgeot screeched, but calmed down as she realized that Charizard had stopped attacking and was instead looking around in embarrassment.

 _"I guess we'll have to continue this another time, ma'am,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type apologized. _"My Trainer is probably concerned for the welfare of the forest Pokemon."_

Pidgeot was shocked at the sudden change of tone. _'It's kinda cute,'_ she thought to herself.

The Flying-Type then realized that the head of a young teen was poking out from the foliage below them. It was too far to see his face, but a certain cap on his head brought back memories to the Bird Pokemon.

 _"Wait a second,"_ Pidgeot called out. _"Have we met?"_

 _"You do seem familiar,"_ the Flame Pokemon admitted. _"How long have you been guarding this flock again?"_

 _"A few years or so. My Trainer was headed back to Pallet Town after placing in the Top 16 of the Indigo League…"_ Pidgeot's voice faltered as she remembered Ash and the adventures she had with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pikachu, Butterfree, and... _Charizard?_

The revelation dawned on her.

 _"Well, this is awkward..."_

* * *

Ash continued to chastise his two Pokemon for hours. Pikachu and Sceptile stood behind him, sharing an unspoken joke.

"You both could've burned down the forest! Do you have no common sense?" The Trainer asked.

 _"...She started it,"_ Charizard muttered.

The Grass-Type couldn't hold it any longer. He started laughing at his rival's expense.

* * *

"And this is Sceptile. Sceptile, this is Pidgeot." The two Pokemon nodded at each other in greeting as the introduction was made.

 _"Nice to meet you,"_ the Bird Pokemon chuckled.

 _"You too. I've heard stories, and apparently, you were a pretty strong member of Ash's team back in the day."_

 _"Oh?"_

 _"Yeah,"_ the Grass-Type responded politely. _"Didn't Ash say that he would come back for you after the Orange Islands?"_

 _"Hmmm. About that...huh. I think we were on vacation in Johto for a while, and then I left for Route 10 because we were going to negotiate with another flock…"_ The Flying-Type trailed off before continuing. _"I guess I don't visit Route 1 much anymore. "Maybe that's why he never came. Eh, don't blame him. I forgot, too."_

* * *

After the reunion, Ash had left with Pikachu to the nearest town in order to restock on supplies, promising that he wouldn't get lost (yeah right).

 _"So, are you gonna come with us?"_ Sceptile asked. _"We definitely have room for another teammate."_

 _"Maybe. A few Pidgeotto have evolved over the past couple of years, and I'm pretty sure they'll be able to take care of the flock. To be honest, I actually miss those adventures I had with Ash."_

Charizard grunted, and Sceptile grinned. If Pidgeot joined the group, then maybe Charizard's overgrown ego could be smashed a few times more. The Forest Pokemon had to deal with a type advantage, and he was sure Pidgeot knew more than a few Flying-Type moves. It'd be nice.

 _"By the way,"_ Pidgeot continued, glancing around at the two Starter Pokemon. _"Is it just me, or does Ash have a new ability in Pokemon communication?"_

There was a moment of silence, and the three Pokemon could hear the rustle of tree leaves in the wind.

 _"Ash,"_ Charizard finally spoke up, _"has magical powers."_

 _"That's nice."_

"It's not magic, Charizard." The three Pokemon looked up to see the Trainer walking back to the campsite with four bags of groceries in each hand. "It's aura."

 _"What?"_ Pidgeot asked.

 _"Happened sometime around Hoenn,"_ Pikachu recalled, balancing on the teen's head.

 _"He went to Hoenn? Isn't that, like, far?"_

"Hoenn isn't _that_ far…"

 _"You've missed out on so much,"_ Sceptile laughed. _"Especially the time Charizard-"_

 _"Shut up, please,"_ the Flame Pokemon pleaded.

* * *

"So I'm thinking that we need to get to Viridian's local library or something and do some research on Team Rocket and stuff like that. What do you guys want to do while I'm there?"

 _"I want to finish that battle with Pidgeot. We never got to see who was better."_ Charizard huffed.

 _"Me, of course,"_ the Flying-Type bragged. Earlier, the Bird Pokemon had informed her flock that her Trainer had returned for her and that she had to leave. After a few sorrowful goodbyes and a wink, the teen had flown back to Pallet on his faithful Pidgeot to retrieve her Pokeball.

 _"I need to have a battle with both of you, with no Ash for an unfair advantage,"_ Sceptile decided, giving the other Pokemon a confident smirk. He could do some textbook reading another time.

"Okay, okay. I'll go research, and you guys can find somewhere to duel it out or something. Seriously, though. Don't try to destroy anything." Ash put his hands up in a 'calm down, please' expression before turning to his Electric-Type. "Pikachu? What would you like to-"

 _"Knock those egos down a hundred notches or so,"_ Pikachu declared.

"Of course, of course. But before you guys start, we have to get to Viridian first, right?"

His Pokemon agreed, and Pidgeot insisted that they race to the nearby city.

 _"That's so not fair!"_ Pikachu whined.

 _'I feel like my mom,'_ Ash thought to himself, before realizing that his Pokemon had already taken off.

* * *

 _"Charge!"_ Charizard roared as he spun a Flamethrower around himself, adding a Fire Spin to the mix.

Pikachu saw this coming, and spun around right before the Flamethrowers could hit before turning the dodge into a Volt Tackle at Pidgeot. Although the Flying-Type was able to avoid the attack, momentum from the powerful move allowed the Electric-Type to bounce up in an extremely fast Focus Punch (which shouldn't be possible) at Sceptile.

 _"Since when could you use Focus Punch?!"_ Sceptile asked as he threw Pikachu away with a Pound, and shot a Solar Beam at the distracted Bird Pokemon. (Hey, it worked…)

 _"Yesterday!"_ The speeding electric mouse called back, aiming a Thunder at Charizard. _"Now taste my lighting!"_

 _"No, taste_ _this_ _!"_ Pidgeot cried, starting her Hurricane.

* * *

When Ash finally walked outside, new information either printed out or stored in his head, he looked in the distance and saw a wasteland. His Pokemon were nowhere in sight, and the young Trainer sighed.

 _'I wonder where they all ran off to…'_

* * *

The Indigo Plateau Champion found his Pokemon being patched up by Viridian City's Nurse Joy at the nearby Pokemon Center.

 _"Hey Ash,"_ Charizard greeted his Trainer with a cheerful expression splattered on his face.

Officer Jenny was also present in the scene.

"What is going on?" Ash asked, confused.

 _"Nothing much…"_ Sceptile replied, grimacing at a burn on his arm.

* * *

"So I asked them if they wanted to go somewhere while I did some research in the library and they said that they would like to have a battle and-" Ash was cut off of his rambling by the officer he was explaining to.

"They said something to you? You can understand your Pokemon?" She questioned.

"Where did you get that from?" Ash blurted out, bewildered.

"Respect your elders, young man!" the officer demanded, ignoring the teen's question.

Sheesh...

Pikachu climbed onto the Trainer's cap, and the teen gave a 'not my fault' shrug to his Pokemon.

 _"I think you should keep it to yourself,"_ Pidgeot cooed, picking at her feathers. _"Next thing you know, everyone is going to come to you to translate for them. And didn't you meet a sort-of Pokemon translator who almost got arrested before?"_

Ash turned back to the woman. "No, Officer. They were implying that they wanted to battle, so I let them go off."

The Jenny looked at him curiously, inspecting him up and down. "I was repositioned a month ago from Sinnoh and have just the slightest suspicion that I've seen you before. Have I?"

Oh, so this Jenny hadn't seen the most recent Indigo League. He was kind of relieved, but the look on the Nurse Joy's face told him that the Pokemon Nurse had been keeping up with the times.

"Officer, this is Ash Ketchum, the last Indigo Plateau Champion," she spoke as her Chansey walked up beside her. "Maybe you've seen him on TV?"

"Oh, so you're Ash? The one who travels with the Brock guy?" Officer Jenny inquired cautiously.

 _"I remember him! The guy who liked all the ladies!"_ the Bird Pokemon chimed in eagerly.

"Well I haven't traveled with him really in a long time, so you don't have to arrest me, thank you very much…"

* * *

 **AN: Enjoy the fanfic so far? Please leave a review! (I love reading those. They make my day, especially with my boring school life.)**


	4. Chapter 4

Ash's heart was still pounding from the previous conversation with Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. He would've preferred to have left Viridian City in peace, but _no_. The Officer had taken him aside afterward, chastising him for his 'irresponsible usage of Pokemon.' There was also something in there about his Trainer License revoked, or being fined for damage to public property, but the teen had forced himself, as a responsible Trainer, to stay silent and take in her insults. It was like the Police Force had a long-lasting grudge against him or something (and to be honest, he had developed a tiny phobia of the Kanto Police Force after an incident with one arresting him to bait Team Rocket. Ash had a vague memory of bowling balls toppling over two criminals). Even the Kanto Police Chief knew of his skirmishes with Pokemon Gangs. But as always, nothing seemed to change.

Nevertheless, the teen had pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind as he discussed traveling routes with his Pokemon.

"I found that there has been more crime than usual in Johto: near Ecruteak and around the area where the Silver Conference was held. Maybe we should head that way," he suggested, ignoring the deadpan stares he was getting from his Pokemon.

 _"How did you do_ _that_ _?"_ Sceptile asked. _"Did you hack some police files or something?"_

"Of course not. Why would I do _that?_ " the Trainer chuckled, leaving his Pokemon to surmise for themselves whether their Trainer was being truthful.

 _"Why don't we visit Brock first? We haven't seen him in forever,"_ Pikachu proposed eagerly.

Ash thought about it for a moment, then decided that it shouldn't hurt the mission.

"Sure, but you guys'll have to behave, alright?"

 _"Can we pretend to be stupid beginners, then crush him in his own gym?"_ Charizard asked.

"That'd be fun, although Pikachu's the only one of you guys that isn't fully evolved, so he'll be the only one to battle. Plus, I don't think Brock runs the Pewter Gym anymore."

Sceptile joined the conversation. _"He's right. It's his brother Forrest now."_

 _"I mean, we can ask him about his brother after we beat him,"_ the Electric-Type of the group suggested. _"Brock's has been in Pewter City for the past year, right? Doesn't he have 'doctor school' or something?"_

A nod from Sceptile confirmed the Mouse Pokemon's thoughts.

Pidgeot, on the other hand, wasn't paying attention. _"We'll have to get new clothes and everything for you, 'cause you look too much like…you, ya' know? Everyone in Kanto knows you already…"_ The Bird Pokemon trailed off in contemplation, before piping up again. _"Do you think Ash would make a good Bug Catcher?"_

"Uh, none of you guys are Bug-Types. Let's just head there, okay? Then we can decide something."

 _"Fine."_

* * *

Just on the edge of Pewter, four Pokemon lay asleep. Ash was sitting on a stone, pondering about possible reasons that Team Rocket (the 'three idiots,' according to Gary), hasn't shown up to abduct any of his Pokemon. It was very peculiar, in the Trainer's opinion, to the point where he considered the possibility that they had quit the Pokemon Gang, or that Giovanni had a grand scheme conducted, and the trio was busy assisting their boss. The latter option seemed more likely.

He looked around and realized that Aura in his palms had started to flare again, causing the campsite to glow with a faint, blue light.

He shook both hands violently, and it abruptly stopped.

The Trainer sighed heavily, dragging himself near his Charizard's bright flame to shield himself from the midnight cold front. He would deal with this later, just not tonight.

* * *

The next day, Ash was taken shopping.

Sceptile and Charizard went in their Pokeballs, but Pidgeot refused, saying that Ash needed a new attire if he was to face Forrest. The Trainer didn't listen to everything his Normal and Flying-Type said, but he was surrendered against persistent pleads for the sake of 'going incognito' or something like that.

The clerk, apparently used to large Pokemon coming in and out of the clothing store, didn't bat an eye when he saw the giant Pidgeot walking through the men's' aisle in front of her Trainer.

 _"See? I told you we wouldn't look crazy,"_ Pidgeot glanced around the store. _"Now...are we going for a classy or fancy look?"_

"Whatever you want," the teen shrugged, trying his best to hide the boredom that was slowly consuming him. Ash didn't really enjoy shopping for clothes (it seemed like he died a little more on the inside every time he laid his eyes on a dress nowadays), but if he tried to escape, Charizard would probably come out of his Pokeball, protesting against his Trainer for ruining their little plan, and well, it wouldn't be pretty.

Pikachu, who had been making a pile of shirts on the floor, climbed into the backpack that had almost been forgotten in the 'excitement.' _"Wake me up when you're done,"_ he yawned.

Ash couldn't blame him.

* * *

"I thought this was only to meet Brock again. Are you sure I need another outfit?" Ash asked.

 _"Maybe someday you don't want anyone to recognize you,"_ Pidgeot replied. _"So you can wear this!"_

" _Stop talking to your Pokemon,"_ a muffled Pikachu grumbled from the Trainer's backpack. _"People might think you're crazy."_

The teen rolled his eyes (not that Pikachu would see him in the first place), and tried not to look too appalled as Pidgeot pointed to a black beanie hat with the Pokemon League symbol on it.

 _"It helps tame your hair."_

* * *

 _"You look so stylish!"_ Pidgeot marveled over an embarrassed Ash as the group was on Route 2. _"And that messenger bag makes it seem like you have such great taste!"_

The Trainer was too busy blushing at his Pokemon to answer.

 _"It kind of looks like your Kalos outfit, except it's black and blue, and the Pokeball symbol's off to the side now,"_ Pikachu commented from Ash's shoulder. _"You kinda look like Alain. Hey, I bet those boots are the same brand. Wanna check?"_

"No thanks," the Trainer replied, sticking his tongue out immaturely at the Electric-Type.

Charizard and Sceptile agreed that they didn't really think that Pidgeot would go as far as buying a completely new set of traveling clothes for their Trainer.

"It was pretty expensive, too," Ash complained, pointing at his long receipt. "This cost like _ten times_ the prize money I got from battling Brandon!"

 _"But it was totally worth it, right? You look so fashionable! I just wish you had contacts to change those eyes, though._ Color _scheme is important, you know."_

Ash nodded. "You mean, like this?" He concentrated his Aura, and a few seconds later, Pidgeot was cooing over Ash like he was a newborn Pidgey.

 _"Great. Ash has blue eyes. We are all so excited,"_ Charizard muttered, and the giant lizard received a fierce slap in the face from the Bird Pokemon.

 _"It's beautiful! I bet all the girls will be-"_

 _"Hey Ash,"_ the Electric-Type interrupted, _"when was the last time you called Serena?"_

The Flying-Type's face lit up. _"Who's Serena? Your girlfriend?"_

* * *

"I challenge the Gym Leader!" Ash yelled at the top of his lungs as he swung open the double doors, which collided with the wall with a slam. There was a sudden period of awkward silence that instigated, and the Indigo Conference Champion realized that the Gym had a new addition: a lobby. So that's why the Gym seemed bigger from the outside. It seemed like everything in Kanto was getting renovated lately.

Pikachu, who was smirking slightly at his Trainer's expense, was hidden in his messenger bag, which the Electric-Type found exceptionally cozy. He was curled up against some books, a sack of berries, some slightly worn clothes, a rolled-up sleeping bag, and Ash's (in his opinion, broken) Pokedex, but somehow, it all managed to fit. The Mouse Pokemon even speculated that there was a tent somewhere in there.

Nearby, other Trainers were looking at the Indigo Plateau Champion curiously. Ash caught one whispering to another: "Another newbie, huh?"

 _"I'll show you 'newbie,'"_ Pikachu muttered from the bag. _"Challenge him, Ash. I dare you."_

 _"Shush, Pikachu,"_ the Trainer directed using his Aura. _"The other Pokemon might recognize you or something."_

 _"There are a million Pikachu in the world! And plus, why does it matter that they recognize me?!"_

 _"You know what? That's a good point."_

With that, the Electric-Type poked his head out of the bag.

A Trainer wearing a flagrant, red t-shirt with matching, red sunglasses decorated in blatant LED-lights walked up to Ash. "Hey you. What's your name?"

"I'm...uh," the teen's eye contact drifted to the bold shirt, "Red. And this is my partner, Pikachu."

"Raimund," the other teen declared loudly, causing other challengers to glance their way. "You want to challenge the Pewter Gym?"

Ash nodded slightly.

"Well, you're in for a surprise," Raimund motioned to where a few challengers were lining up. "Forrest's brother is filling in for him today, and he's hard! Not many people could get badges, and now everyone is lining up to just ask him for advice on Pokemon care and training after the battle! I don't think I can beat him, and it would make me feel better if you went right before me."

The teen nodded in interest, genuinely surprised at the beneficial coincidence. He had only come to the Gym to battle Forrest and then ask him for his older brother, but that didn't seem to be the case anymore.

Pikachu, who was listening to the conversation, raised a paw with an excited facade. _"You're stupid!"_ he cheered sarcastically.

Ash ignored him, although the Trainer noted that his Starter was more like him than he had previously believed. The number of times he had BSed his own obliviousness (which was stupid) had reached the point that the teen had lost count. And he had honed his acting skills in Unova, where it took all his strength not to yell at Trip for being a jerk and Iris to stop calling him a kid every half hour (he failed a few times, but that was okay). People in the Pokemon World were terribly naive, and although Ash usually saw himself as an optimist, it seemed like his occasional sarcasm didn't sit well with certain people. The Unovian air didn't help either. Instead, it gave him headaches and probably dropped his IQ by 50, because he could only slightly remember half the things he did, and at least seventy percent of them were completely idiotic. In the end, he was glad Kalos had 'breathable' air. There, he had an almost lie-free region.

The Pokemon Trainer turned to Raimund, a grin forming on his face as he unleashed another generic newbie line: "I'm going to try my very best, you know? I believe in my Pokemon, and we'll have fun in the end!"

In a hypothetical situation in which Raimund met the last Indigo Plateau Champion (in all his glory) instead of 'Red,' the Pallet Town Trainer would've convinced the other teen that winning wasn't everything and that the only person he was trying to please with the pressure of winning was himself.

"I've been traveling for years, you know. Came from Sinnoh myself," the other boy revealed, glancing at 'Red' and Pikachu with a sad smile. "Not everyone makes it to the top." When Ash didn't say anything, he continued. "You know, Red, I want to be the very best. Like...no one ever was! Do you understand? It's like my life's goal to one day rise to the level of, maybe Ash Ketchum or something. Ever since his Sceptile toppled Darkrai, a Mythical Pokemon, I've had newfound hope."

One of the Pokeballs on the Indigo Plateau Champion's belt shook slightly.

"Well Raimund," he replied, "I'm sure you'll do great. Just never give up!" The Trainer was pretty proud of the cheesy, inspirational line he gave.

"Hey, look!" Raimund pointed to the double doors leading to the arena. There aren't that many people anymore. Let's both get in line!"

Ash smiled and nodded, trying his best to be polite.

* * *

"Next!" Brock's voice thundered from the tournament room. Pikachu popped back in the bag and closed the top over himself.

"Go on," Raimund whispered. "You'll be great! Just think, Ash Ketchum!"

"If only you knew…" Ash muttered as the door shut behind him with a loud clang. Memories sprung up as he surveyed the first gym he'd gotten a badge from, and nostalgia from the familiar battlefield made him smile. His eyes finally landed on Brock, who stood on the opposite side of the miniature stadium with crossed arms and an expectant look.

"Welcome to the Pewter Gym!" the Pokemon Breeder announced in a thundering voice. "I am Brock, temporary Gym Leader, and your opponent!"

"I'm...Red, and I challenge you!" Ash yelled back. He figured that since Brock hadn't seen him in forever (they rarely contacted each other nowadays), the to-be-Pokemon Doctor wouldn't recognize his voice.

"Great spirit, young man, now send out your first Pokemon!"

Here it goes…

"Let's go, Pikachu!" the Trainer shouted, and waited for Brock to send out his Marshtomp.

 _"Eat my dust!"_ the Electric-Type yelled, jumping out of Ash's bag. His opponent chuckled, and in response, sent out his own Pokemon. As Ash predicted, it was the Mud Fish Pokemon.

"You know, my friend once beat my Onix with his Pikachu," Brock recalled, smiling at the memory. "You remind me of him. But nevermind that. Let's battle!"

Marshtomp recognized the Pikachu immediately, but the Electric-Type motioned for Brock's Pokemon to be silent with a devious grin.

"Ready, Red?" The Gym Leader smirked slightly, letting the referee between the two Trainers call out the rules.

"This will be a two on two battle. Only the challenger may switch out their Pokemon! The winner is decided once both Pokemon from a side are unable to continue!" He raised both flags he was gripping. "Begin!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted his favorite move, but then paused, thinking of a small tactic to use.

 _"Use Agility instead!"_ he commanded, using his Aura in order to attempt at confusing his friend.

 _"Got it!"_

Pikachu started to run, trailing a streak of dust and wind. As the challenger tried to go for a crestfallen look, Brock chuckled. "You have a strong-looking Pikachu there, but it doesn't seem like you've been getting along."

Ash wondered how his old friend didn't recognize the Pikachu, even after years of traveling with him. He concluded that squinting was probably bad for your eyesight.

Pikachu pounded Marshtomp with a double Brick Break, using both of his paws to hammer the Water and Ground-Type into the ground.

 _"This is totally not fair!"_ Brock's Marshtomp whined, reacting when his Trainer called for a Mud Shot. _"Brock's clueless!"_

 _"Is that not the point?"_ Pikachu asked mischievously, as he used Dig in order to fabricate a distraction of Substitute, missing the Mud Shot completely.

Ash, keeping up with the drama, was now sitting on the rock floor, looking absolutely horrified at his Starter (thanks to his acting skills), who 'wasn't following his directions.'

"Pikachu! I wanted a Thunderbolt!"

 _"Go ahead and come out of that Dig, and know that he's going to dodge. Iron Tail, and if that fails, Thunderbolt just for his reaction,"_ Ash communicated silently.

"Marshtomp, dodge!" the Pokemon Breeder cried out as Pikachu shot up from the ground. Using his fin as a radar, Marshtomp was able to sense Pikachu, but not the spinning Iron Tail that came afterward.

The field exploded. Pikachu used a Thunderbolt just to appease himself.

After the smoke cleared, everyone in the room (except Ash and Pikachu of course) was stunned.

"M-Marshtomp is unable to battle, and the challenger wins...?" The referee stuttered, raising his right flag.

 _"Beat that!"_ Pikachu smirked, completely aware of his Trainer sighing in pretended relief behind him.

"You may have a strong Pokemon," Brock yelled across the battlefield, "But your bond...your friendship is what really counts! Steelix, come on out!"

 _"Pikachu, wanna reveal who we actually are?"_ Ash asked, sitting on the ground with eyes closed. His hands were buried into his face, and a slumped position showed apparent discouragement, but his Aura Sight allowed him to see Steelix on the other side of the field.

 _"Why? I'm having so much fun!"_ Ash's partner laughed, then turned to look at the Iron Snake Pokemon, who was trying to get the Gym Leader's attention about the very familiar Electric-Type in front of him. Pikachu let out a small sigh, mumbled about ruining his fun, then muttered, _"Alright..."_

Brock looked confused, but shrugged it off, ready to begin the battle. He glanced at the other side of the field, and watched as his opponent pick himself up, and brush the dirt off of his pants, before smirking. "Attack first," the challenger taunted, giving Brock a look that was much too confident for any beginner.

"Fine with me. Steelix, go for a Dig!"

From the challenger's side of the field, Ash called out, "Iron Tail!" The Steel-Type move collided with the battlefield, causing the ground to shake in a manner similar to an Earthquake. Bits of rock and stone flew up out into the air and crashed back on the ground for more damage. Steelix's head popped out from the battlefield a second later, and Pikachu jumped to avoid the move, landing on the Steel-Type's face.

"Now, counter shield." Ash commanded, trying not to laugh.

The look on Brock's face when his Pokemon fainted was priceless. (At least, it was to Pikachu.) Steelix collapsed with a thud, shaking the entire Gym.

"You are..." The Pokemon Doctor stumbled on his words.

"It was my Pokemon's idea. Don't blame me," the Trainer shrugged, and started walking over to greet his old friend.

"Ash, where did you get those clothes?" Brock asked with a bit of disbelief, knowing that the Trainer disliked dressing up.

"I went shopping with Pidgeot."

"And-"

"She went a little over-the-top with this idea," Ash shrugged, turning his eyes back to their normal color and taking off the beanie to reveal his untamable hair.

As if on cue, the Flying-Type released herself from her Pokeball and proceeded to show off her favorite flying techniques around the Gym.

"Oh yeah." Ash gave a sheepish grin, "There's a guy in the lobby who absolutely loves Ash Ketchum, and he was talking to me earlier. He's next in line, and when he comes in, tell him for me, 'kay?"

"Ash, you're such an..." Brock's voice faltered, and he began chuckling.

"I know, I know. Don't remind me. Oh, can you keep this a secret for me? I don't want this to get all over Kanto, because...you know, publicity, and...uh, Team Rocket."

"They're still following you?"

"Uh, yeah...you could say that."

"Wow, that sucks. Alright. Thanks for coming over to visit. You're still short, by the way. Might wanna fix that next time you come over."

"I am pretty sure I'm only like two inches under you and you know it."

* * *

"Hey," Brock greeted, smiling nervously. "Ready to battle?"

"Yes sir!" Raimund shouted eagerly. "I'm Raimund from Oreburgh City, and I challenge you for the Boulder Badge!"

"That's great," the Pokemon Breeder replied, accepted the answer. "I am Brock Harrison, Gym Leader of Pewter City. Oh, and...by the way, about that guy you who went before you…"

* * *

 **AN: In this fanfic, Pokemon can learn more than four moves, but it's just very hard to keep more than four at once. Ash...knows how to teach Pokemon more than four moves. And if you didn't catch on to how he does it (found somewhere in this fanfiction), you'll see in the later chapters.**

 **Oh yeah. This was all filler but I honestly don't care 'cause it was fun. Plus, it imitates the actual anime, right? (Pokemon filler episodes are so weird sometimes.) Don't worry, he'll have some important stuff next week.**


	5. Chapter 5

" _We should totally visit Misty next!"_ Pidgeot squawked excitedly.

"Please, no…" Ash groaned, pulling off his beanie hat so that his hair regressed to its natural, messy state. The traveling group was back in the forest again, and Ash had just finished explaining plans to head to Mahogany Town, where a Team Rocket lab should be.

" _Don't take off that! It looks gorgeous on you!"_ Pidgeot cried out, making Charizard and Sceptile snicker. Pikachu, who had been ignoring the conversation, was perched on a nearby tree, trying to hit a Thunderbolt at every leaf that fell from higher branches.

"Fine," Ash muttered, shoving the hat over his eyes. His Normal and Flying-Type walked over and began to fix the nest of hair for her incompetent Trainer, murmuring incomprehensible insults.

" _Let's head to Mahogany Town,"_ Sceptile suggested. " _We can skip the Gym. I want to kick Rocket butt instead."_ He was leaning against a tree with a twig sticking out of his mouth as the Grass-Type engaged in a staring contest with his rival.

" _And of course I'll beat up the most Rockets,"_ Charizard challenged, winking at the Forest Pokemon (he lost the staring contest).

" _Bring it on."_

"Let's just get there first, alright? And when we get there, we should stop at a Pokemon Center to rest," the Trainer decided, pointing ahead at the long, seemingly unending dirt path that snaked through the woods. In a swift motion, he took out the Pokeballs hanging from his belt and recalled Charizard and Sceptile.

"I don't know what I'd do without the invention of Pokeballs," Ash admitted to his Flying-Type. "They're incredibly reliable for much-need silence sometimes."

 _"Agreed,"_ the Bird Pokemon replied, stretching her wings in preparation for the long flight. _"Mahogany Town, right? I don't think I can fly that far with a heavy load, so we might need to stop at Mt. Mortar and walk the rest of the way."_

The Trainer nodded, climbed on the Flying-Type's back, and took off.

* * *

Ash and his team had finally reached a clearing in the woods that indicated civilization but had somehow found themselves at the Lake of Rage instead of Mahogany Town. The sun had just started to set, which turned the reflection of the late-afternoon sky into a blue-violet mix. Trees had parted around the water and a couple of Magikarps were splashing around in the shallow area. The young Trainer's eyes fell on two angry-looking Gyarados engaged in a fierce battle in the middle of the lake as other Water-Type Pokemon watched (and stayed away). Hyper Beams shot left and right, causing wet explosions and reminding the teen of the last time he had traveled to Mahogany Town.

"Those Gyarados look pretty tough, don't they?" Ash asked his Pokemon.

" _I can beat them,"_ Pikachu replied.

"Of course you can. Your Thunderbolt is 4x effective against them."

" _Nope, they're just weak."_

"Sure."

Sceptile and Charizard, who hadn't been listening to their Trainer, were in another heated staring contest, and after their little banter about 'kicking more butt than you' in the forest earlier, neither of them were going to back down in even something so trivial.

Ash's Pidgeot had slumped against a nearby tree, fatigue clearly visible on her face. " _Can we please go to the Pokemon Center now? The journey from Pewter to Mahogany was tiring, especially since you read the map wrong like seven times!"_

"Sure," the teen replied, ignoring his Pokemon's insult to his sense of direction. "And we can get some practice in before looking for that lab."

The Trainer started walking to the Pokemon Center, and Pidgeot grumbled incoherently as she had to pick herself off the ground and walk some more. Sceptile and Charizard had started to awkwardly shuffle sideways in an attempt to keep eye contact with each other, and Ash wished he had a camera to record the scene.

" _Can we go to the souvenir shop later?"_ Pikachu asked, balancing on his Trainer's shoulder.

"Okay, but why?"

" _You'll see."_

* * *

"What kind of name is 'Just a Souvenir Shop?'" Ash wondered aloud as he and Pikachu saw the sign in front of the shop. The teen had left the rest of his Pokemon back at the Pokemon Center and had promised to pay Nurse Joy for any damages that may occur while he was out on his little excursion. She had given the Trainer a confused look but accepted his gratitude anyway.

" _The best name ever!"_

"And that description, though: 'Nothing Suspicious about it, No Need to be Alarmed.' What does that even mean?"

Pikachu shrugged and helped his Trainer push open the wooden door in front of him to the shack with a loud creak. The partners glanced at each other and walked in.

Ash's feet thumped loudly on loose floorboards as he strolled around the little shop. Shelves were filled with medicine and expensive Great Balls that the teen would never be able to buy because his mother had ingrained in his mind as a child the importance of saving money (he also had a lack of a salary). A giant, antique cabinet stood in the corner of the room and looked almost out of place compared to the worn carpet and rotting wood that the rest of the shop had been built upon. The Trainer estimated that the shop would've looked new just a few years ago.

" _Ash! Did you know they sold Revives here?"_ Pikachu asked as he pointed to some that had been packaged into little boxes behind the counter.

" _What's a Revive?"_ Ash replied, speaking into his Pokemon's mind with Aura.

" _It restores fainted Pokemon to half their energy. Have you not seen people sneak those during battles, along with berries, sprays, and other stuff that would get them disqualified if they were caught?"_

" _Oh, so_ _that's_ _how they win."_

" _The smart ones do that,"_ Pikachu smirked. " _Heck, the Elite Four use them during battles all the time."_

Ash stared at his Pokemon in surprise and tried to stop himself from retaliating. It was an innate characteristic of the teen to see the best in everyone as a first impression, and he didn't want the thought that many of his battles were rigged to be stuck in his mind all day. The best choice of action in this situation was to forget it and move on, or else the Trainer would become paranoid every time he set foot in a Gym.

The Electric-Type pointed at a small box on a shelf. " _Do you know what a Hyper Potion does? You should get some. Oh, and we need to stock up on Antidotes, too."_

The Trainer grabbed a few random objects off of different shelves that seemed useful (under the direction of his Pikachu) and laid them all on the countertop near the cashier.

"I'd like four Revives as well, please," he told the old man at the counter politely, who in turn stared him down and rubbed the tip of his thumb against his other fingers, signaling that the Trainer should hand over his money. As the teen paid, the man would not stop his intimidating stare that made Ash a little uneasy.

"Jeez, shop owners these days," the Trainer muttered to Pikachu as they walked out of the shop.

* * *

"Sorry Nurse Joy. Here, I have the money ready…"

"Please, don't pay. The League will cover the cost. Just be careful, and we hope to see you again," the Nurse replied with a forced smile. Ash could see fists clenched by her side and decided that his presence probably wasn't wanted.

After a quick, sheepish nod, he hurried himself out the hole in the wall that had previously been a door.

* * *

" _Sorry, Ash. Sceptile called me-"_

"It's fine, Charizard. Let's just head for the Lake of Rage again, alright? Maybe a nearby Pokemon knows where Team Rocket is. Where _are_ all the Pokemon in the first place?"

" _Don't know,"_ Sceptile replied from a nearby tree, looking a bit smug.

"You two behave, okay? Team Rocket isn't going to wait until you're at full strength to battle, so please, save your energy."

Pikachu was feeling doubtful that Charizard and Sceptile were even listening in the first place, but were pretending otherwise. It was actually beneficial to the Electric-Type, though, because he didn't have to put up with the Fire-Type's arrogance as much as he did when Ash first traveled through Kanto.

* * *

"Woah, Gyarados! Calm down, please!" Ash shouted at the Water and Flying-Type that had been swimming circles around the perimeter of the lake in a fury.

" _And then they got into this_ _huge_ _argument about the Magikarp, and it's so_ _frustrating_ _because Garvane's a jerk, but so is-"_

"Gyarados, may I ask you something?" the Trainer interrupted the rant. He looked up at the serpent-like Pokemon, who in turn glanced down with a permanent glare.

" _Make it quick. I have a date in a few minutes,"_ the Atrocious Pokemon growled, which made Ash wonder if the spectacle in the middle of the Lake of Rage earlier was what the Gyarados considered to be a date.

"Do you know where Team Rocket's Lab might be?" Ash asked.

The Water-Type grunted. " _Beneath that stupid shack of a store, at least that's what I heard. There have been rumors of stupid Pokemon that go under the cabinet and never come back. Now excuse me, my date is waiting…"_ The Atrocious Pokemon began to swim back into the lake.

Charizard popped out of his Pokeball, impatient. _"Are you done with him? I'm ready to kick Rocket butt now."_

Ash turned to his Fire and Flying-Type and gave him a disbelieving stare.

" _I'm a_ _she_ _, you sexist lizard!"_ Gyarados roared.

"Woah, wait! Charizard, apologize before you-"

" _Here's what_ _I_ _think of apologizing: Hydro Pump! And stop running away like a coward! Come and face me!"_

Before the Fire-Type's pride would be the end of him, Ash recalled his Pokemon and ran for his life.

* * *

"Ready?" Ash whispered to Pikachu. It was after store hours, and Ash had just managed to circumvent the motion detectors, thanks to his Aura, which was improving exponentially with each time he used it. His other Pokemon were in their Pokeballs because the Indigo Plateau Champion was afraid that they were a little too big for the 'shack' of a store, as the Gyarados had called it.

" _You know, you could've just used Aura when we first came into the store,"_ Pikachu observed, looking at the descending stairs with a bemused expression. " _It would've been better."_

" _I got distracted by the Revives,"_ the Trainer replied. " _Not really my fault."_

* * *

Ash tiptoed down the stairs, closing his eyes in an attempt to inform himself of possible grunts that might've been guarding the corridors and hallways. When he found none, the duo had continued to sneak through the dark hallways of the lab. After shocking a few Team Rocket grunts and leaving them behind in an unconscious state, Pikachu had found a closet, and the Trainer had gingerly changed into a black Team Rocket grunt uniform at least two sizes too big for him. The teen poked around the room a little more and had found a pair of fingerless gloves, which he slipped on under the normal grunt ones. Fingerless gloves were cool, and he admittedly had a soft spot for them.

As of now, Ash was trying his best not to insult and command his Pikachu to use Thunder at Professor Sebastian, who was giving a lecture about the new subjects of Project Revolution, otherwise known as Project R.

"Our next test subject, Gallade, was found in Kalos a few weeks ago, and since then, we've been experimenting with evolutionary change through willpower. This Gallade can transform to a Gardevoir with just a thought, and with the right motivation." He motioned to a glass chamber containing a distraught-looking Gallade,

" _No, please sir, I cannot live without my precious dignity! Oh, woe is me!"_ The Gallade practically begged in his thick Kalosian accent, abased.

Ash tried his hardest not to clench his hands into fists, reminding himself to relax.

"You there," the Pokemon Professor pointed at the grunt next to Ash, and the Trainer prayed a small thank-you to Arceus for the luck. "Pull the switch to release the electricity, and keep it down until it transforms."

" _You shall regret this day and all the days past, I say! May Arceus curse you forever! I beg of you to not!"_ The Gallade cried out.

When the switch was flipped, arcs of electricity shot out from the top of the Psychic and Fighting-Type's chamber and shocked him.

"You might've realized that Gallade cannot work his moves. This is simply because of the newly-enforced Type Glass that I've completed my research on a few months ago, as you may have known. Isn't science amazing?"

Ash was immediately reminded of his friend Clemont, and had to pinch himself in order to stay calm. His friend's 'Clemontic Shower' was nothing like this.

Gallade had dropped to his knees with discomfort as he cried out in pain at the contact of electricity. As the last of his willpower disappeared, the Blade Pokemon coughed out profane curses, and with a small glow similar to evolution, transformed into a Gardevoir.

"Now, this subject is flawed. It was a mistake to use a Pokemon that was already adapted to the wild for our experiments, and here we are, wasting our funds on these...errors. I need someone to take this subject to the furnace to be disposed of. You," Professor Sebastian locked his eyes on Ash, "shall do the honors."

With a small nod (it was hard to conceal his frustration), Ash grabbed a moving dolly from a corner of the room, and began loading the Gallade on it, but not before disconnecting the wires connecting the chamber to a plug in the circuit board next to Professor Sebastian. With a push, the teen masquerading as a Rocket grunt left the room with the Pokemon in tow.

* * *

" _Please calm down, Gallade. You'll be fine."_ Ash used his Aura to talk to Gallade. Pikachu was trotting down the hallway right next to him, trying to look like a normal grunt's Pokemon.

As an admin walked by, Ash pulled his head down a little lower and hoped that he didn't coincidentally recognize the Trainer from TV or something.

" _These_ _lies you tell taste bitter! Who gave you permission to live?!"_ The Gallade put his sword-like elbows up, glaring angrily.

" _I'm not a part of Team Rocket. Now please tell me where the 'furnace' place is."_ Ash's patience was starting to diminish. He was sure that if his team didn't get out quickly, they would be discovered. As he glanced around, he noticed cameras around the area and realized that in order to have any chance of getting back to the shop, he would have to cause a blackout.

" _Never! I shall not succumb to evil!"_ the Blade Pokemon yelled, not realizing that a _Human_ was able to understand him, nor that he was speaking in a telepathic-like manner.

That was when Ash realized that he could use his Aura Sight to find the furnace.

* * *

" _Pikachu, use Thunder on those wires over there, and make sure your electricity overloads the entire system,"_ Ash commanded mentally, pointing at some wires below the security camera mounted on a wall.

The Mouse Pokemon went straight to work.

" _Wait, what are you doing?"_ Gallade wailed. " _You will kill us all!"_

Ash looked around him. The furnace was a giant, circular chamber of a certain metal, with mounds of coals around the edges of the room. There were various charred items everywhere, and the Trainer wondered about the number of Pokemon sent there to die. Some might've had the Flash Fire ability, but Ash doubted that any of them could survive in a chamber with no food or water for long. It seemed that if the Psychic-Type had cooperated with Team Rocket, the Trainer might've faced him in battle sometime in the future. He was a little proud of the Pokemon for standing up for his morals, even to the death.

" _Gallade?"_ he asked. " _How do you break this glass?"_

" _How would I know?"_

Ash looked around and realized that there weren't any other Type Glass chambers in the room.

' _Did they all melt?'_ The Trainer thought, and wiped some sweat from his forehead (it was hot), which gave him an idea.

 _"Charizard, Flamethrower around the glass!"_ Ash commanded as he released Charizard's Pokeball. "Start from the bottom, and try to simulate a campfire!"

" _Rocket butt?"_ Charizard asked, immediately alert, but when he realized that it was just a Gallade in some glass, rolled his eyes and began firing. At first, the Blade Pokemon freaked out, but he managed to calm down after realizing that the glass was beginning to melt.

 _"Don't try to burn him 'cause he's pretty weak right now,"_ Ash told his Flying-Type, and got a glare from the annoyed Fighting-Type. The teen had a feeling that the Pokemon had started to resent him a little, and although it was reasonable, the Trainer hated it when a Pokemon held grudges. It led to him saving the world far too many times than he would've liked.

Suddenly, the creaking of a door was heard, and a Rocket grunt came in the furnace with his own moving dolly.

* * *

 **AN: Leave a review! Oh, and if you see a grammar error, please tell me. I detest those, especially in my own writing.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: 'Long' (at least for me) chapter ahead. Some of this was supposed to be in Chapter 5, but there aren't even supposed to be chapters in this story so I have an excuse. After awhile, I'll move the first part of this over, but for now, enjoy.**

* * *

Joe was a Team Rocket member on the verge of a promotion. And as a typical, low-class grunt, he had been entrusted with tedious and uneventful jobs for the past few months. Earlier, Professor Sebastian had shown another failed experiment, an Eevee that was supposed to be able to transform into all its evolutions and had ordered him to throw it into the furnace. The grunt thought this was cruel, but obeyed anyway. He knew that if he didn't follow orders, punishment would be imminent.

Sometimes Joe wished that he never signed up for Team Rocket in the first place. But that meant facing extreme poverty, starvation, and begging in the alleys of Saffron City. He once was a naive Trainer, traveling around Kanto and collecting prize money for his family. But once he was initiated on that fateful day at the Nugget Bridge in Cerulean City, there was no turning back.

He even felt the change of his views. The Team Rocket motto had been ingrained in his head, and he found himself, slowly but surely, conforming to the ideals of the Pokemon Gang.

As he tugged open the steel doors of the furnace, a wave of heat washed over him, and the Gang member immediately started sweating in his itchy, uncomfortable Team Rocket uniform. Another member was standing in the furnace, back turned away from him, and Joe recognized him as the grunt that was ordered to bring the Gallade here.

"Hello?" he asked.

At first, the other grunt didn't respond - he was busy staring at something behind a mountain of coals - but after a few seconds, he turned around, and gave a curious look.

"Hey, I-I know you might be new, b-but they're burning everything up in h-half an hour," Joe stuttered, feeling a little uneasy at the sight of the red, unblinking eyes that seemed to glow with an aura of intimidation throughout the dark room.

The grunt grinned and lifted a finger to his lips. "Shhh."

It was the first time Joe had heard him talk.

The tips of a Flamethrower curled up above the mountain of coals, and Joe's eyes widened as the man realized that the glow of the furnace wasn't natural.

He turned to the other grunt in fear. "Y-you'll get killed for this! I need to report y-you so I'll be spared!" He began to escape but realized that a Charizard was suddenly standing in the doorway, obstructing his exit.

A Thunder Punch was the last thing Joe saw before blacking out.

* * *

Ash found the Eevee's chamber much easier to melt than Gallade's. " _Don't worry, I got you,"_ he assured the shivering bundle in his arms. Charizard had a satisfied look on his face as he volunteered to drag the body of the grunt (not dead, he hoped) outside the room. If the Trainer had been paying more attention, he would've heard a celebratory " _One. Beat that, Sceptile!"_ from the corridor.

" _Got it!"_ Pikachu's voice rang from near the security camera. " _The control room was hard to shut down, but the power's out!"_

"Did you get the backup power that Team Rocket probably has?" Ash asked.

" _Yup. I might've set the generator on fire too,"_ the Electric-Type replied with a smirk, enjoying the feeling of being an arsonist. " _Let's get out of this monstrosity."_

* * *

Along the way, miscellaneous Rocket grunts tried to stop the team from exiting, but Ash could rely on his Charizard, Sceptile, and Pikachu to stop anyone who was in the way.

" _23!"_ Sceptile announced as he used Leaf Blade on one grunt, twisting around in an Iron Tail on another's Rattata. " _24!"_

" _21, 22, 23, 24, 25! Combo!"_ Charizard shouted through double Thunder Punches at a group of Gang Members and Rocket Pokemon.

' _This isn't a very large base,'_ Ash thought as he gripped the wheezing Eevee tightly and sprinted across the slippery hallways. ' _It must not be the main one. Only a small lab, maybe?'_

Another grunt came running down the hallway. "Generator Room on fire!" he screamed, running in the direction that Ash presumed was the exit (it wasn't _his_ fault that he forgot where the souvenir shop was located already).

With the arrival of unpleasant news, the other grunts suddenly became disinterested in battling the intruders.

" _Aha! 31!"_ Pikachu shouted through a Volt Tackle laced with the extra energy of Thunder Armor. " _I win!"_

"Wait, guys!" Ash cried out, voice hoarse from both the smoke that had seeped into the hallway and the strain of talking after being silent for so long.

" _What?"_ Sceptile asked, knocking out another Pokemon.

There was a strange sense of morality that always stirred up inside the teen whenever he was about to save the world or something similar, and this situation was no exception. He pointed at the Team Rocket grunts lying unconscious on the floor. "We have to evacuate them! Charizard, get to the Generator Room! Sceptile, to the furnace! Pikachu, recall the fainted Pokemon!" The Trainer released his other Flying-Type. "Pidgeot, carry everyone out of here!"

" _Everyone?"_ the Bird Pokemon asked in confusion, scanning her surroundings.

"Yes! Now _go!_ "

Ash turned to the Gallade that was limping towards the group. Putting a shoulder under Pokemon's blade-like arms, he supported the Fighting-Type with all of his declining strength as they headed for the exit, together.

* * *

"Be still." Ash looked down at the Eevee who hadn't stopped shivering in fear. "Let me scan for any tracking chips in you."

As soon as they had escaped the base (along with a bunch of grunts and Team Rocket scientists), the souvenir shop had spontaneously combusted in a mushroom cloud of fire and smoke, waking up half the town. Ash had ditched his Team Rocket uniform somewhere in the fire (he kept the fingerless gloves though as his old ones had been ) and had settled somewhere in the forest near Mahogany Town. He had found a tracker app for synthetic or electronic material on his Pokedex - honestly, he could only think of one person who would have both the ingenuity and dedication to even attempt something like this - and after a few minutes of constant attempts at working the device, began to scan for any trace of chips or tracking devices in the Pokemon.

"Okay, I think both of you are good," the Trainer smiled as he lifted Dexter away from the Pokemon. He had also scanned his gloves just for the sake of it and found no trace of anything electronic.

Gallade raised his arms and bowed. " _Ah yes! The feeling of freedom! How sweet the air, how graceful, the trees as they trumpet my glorious-"_

" _We get it,"_ Charizard huffed.

" _We,_ " Ash acknowledged the Pokemon, "need to move to a Pokemon Center to look at those wounds."

He looked up at Pidgeot, who was practicing her maneuvering in the air. The Bird Pokemon was slightly miffed that she hadn't fought any Rocket grunts in the lab before it had started collapsing but understood her Trainer's decision that the Fire-Type and Grass-Type had barely enough room to battle in the small hallways beneath the shop.

"Charizard, will you get Pidgeot down? And Pikachu, get out of that bag and on my shoulder. Eevee can go in it."

" _Aye, sir."_ Charizard gave a mock salute, which Pikachu copied.

* * *

"Nurse Joy! It's an emergency!" Ash exclaimed as he sprinted through the doors of the Blackthorn City Pokemon Center (the Mahogany one had been destroyed, thanks to his traveling companions). The entire city of Mahogany was on fire - and Pikachu was pretty proud of that - although the team knew that Charizard's Flamethrowers also contributed.

"Yes? Oh no, look at the condition of these Pokemon! Chansey, get a hospital bed for each of them, please!" the Pokemon Nurse cried out when she saw the two injured Pokemon.

" _Sure thing, Danni!"_ The Normal-Type replied, acknowledging the Joy's first name. The Egg Pokemon ran into a separate room and appeared again pushing two Pokemon-sized hospital beds.

Gallade immediately collapsed on one of the beds with a groan, but the Eevee refused to move and clung on to Ash as he tried to set the Evolution Pokemon down.

"Just get on with her," Nurse Joy smiled a little. "She must be attached to you a lot. Are these two yours?"

"No, I'm pretty sure they are wild Pokemon. Found them near Mahogany, and didn't want to go there because of the rumors," Ash explained, proceeding to sit down on a hospital bed Chansey had rolled by.

The Joy's eyes widened. "Oh yes, I heard that Team Rocket has been snooping around there, and about that recent fire to the souvenir shop. It was actually on TV that a few hundred Rocket grunts were seen running out of it. And did you know that an entire wall of the Pokemon Center there practically exploded that day? Creepy, isn't it?"

Feeling a little sheepish, Ash took off his shoes and gingerly placed them on the edge of the bed before lying down, putting Eevee right next to him. The Evolution Pokemon stared up at the teen with large, frightened eyes, and curled up on his forearm.

"Yeah, I heard about the Pokemon Center. What a coincidence, huh?"

* * *

"You okay?" Ash asked the Eevee as she woke up. Nurse Joy had prepared a room for the two Pokemon (Ash felt a little uncomfortable in his curled-up position as the bed was too small for him) and had assured the Trainer that both Pokemon would be fine. Pikachu had been left outside the room with the rest of his Pokemon, and the Trainer had pleaded for them not to break anything a few minutes earlier. Pidgeot assured him that she would keep the boys in check - and away from any buildings - but Ash was still worried.

Eevee just stared at the Trainer and dug into the space between his arm and side. The Aura Adept immediately noticed that the Pokemon's presence was much colder than any Pokemon he'd seen before, besides Ice and Ghost-Types, of course. It was like the poor thing had been frozen in a freezer.

Then he realized. It must be dying. The lifespan of an experiment was almost always cut short.

"I'm Ash," the Trainer introduced himself, smiling. "It's okay. No one is going to hurt you."

" _A-Ash?"_ The Eevee whimpered, and refused to look at the Trainer.

The teen blinked and pulsed a little Aura into the Normal-Type. He knew that it would be fatal to just give his life force away, but a little would just make him tired for a few days...right? Plus, Eevee needed it more than he did.

He also made a mental note to visit a library as soon as possible, especially since he had been making quite a few decisions involving usage of Aura that may or may not have been the best idea.

As the teen drifted off, he reminded himself that it probably wasn't his fault that the population of known living Aura Adepts in the world was closer to zero than five.

Actually, it was one. Ash didn't count because his friends had kept the secret well-hidden.

* * *

" _Ash?"_ A voice woke the Trainer up. Ash opened his eyes and blinked a few times to register the Eevee who was sitting on his chest (owww, when did something so small become so heavy?!) and cocking her head in interest at the teen's groggy expression.

"Yes, Eevee?" Ash blinked, and saw that the Evolution Pokemon's wounds were gone. Aura did that sometimes, he guessed.

" _Is that a Pikachu?"_ Eevee motioned to the nearby window, where the Electric-Type was waving. Pidgeot, Charizard, and Sceptile were in view - the latter two were arguing, probably about something frivolous - and the Bird Pokemon lifted a wing in a position that seemed like a thumbs-up to tell her Trainer that nothing major has been broken…yet.

"Yep. That's my partner, Pikachu." Ash waved back at the Mouse Pokemon, who stuck his tongue out at him.

" _Ash?"_

"Yes?"

" _How come you understand me?"_ Eevee pawed at the teen's shirt.

"My Pokemon call me magical," Ash whispered, making the Eevee giggle and jump up and down with newfound energy. As the Trainer groaned in pain, he realized that the Normal-Type was very young, and it reminded him of Misty's Togetic. Team Rocket could've hatched the Evolution Pokemon from an egg.

Nurse Joy chose that time to walk in, making the Trainer sit up reluctantly and pretend that he wasn't on the verge of collapsing. "Eevee, are you feeling better?" the woman asked in a concerned tone.

" _Yes, Nurse Joy,"_ Eevee chirped. Ash realized that the young Normal-Type must've picked up the name when the Trainer was carrying her in (because surely she'd never seen a Pokemon Nurse before).

Gallade suddenly groaned from his bed, which made the teen glance across the room. He'd almost forgotten that the Psychic-Type was in the room.

"That's strange," Nurse Joy glanced at the Blade Pokemon. "It seems that Eevee is completely well, yet Gallade is still in bed. She's is a fast healer, huh."

"She sure is. Isn't that right?" Ash smiled at the Normal-Type and immediately felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. With a sigh of frustration, the Trainer let himself fall back onto the mattress and hoped the woman didn't worry.

* * *

A few hours later, Nurse Joy had reluctantly allowed Ash to take the Normal-Type outside the Pokemon Center. The sky was clear, and Eevee got along great with his team, especially the teen's Starter (who didn't understand why the Pokemon Nurse hadn't recognized his Trainer by now).

As of then, Eevee was watching Ash train Pikachu and Pidgeot while Charizard and Sceptile sparred over the argument they had earlier. Occasionally, the teen would face both the Fire-Type and Grass-Type and give some positive advice to the twosome.

Eevee seemed to stare at the attacks with a dazed expression as if she had never seen anything like it.

Ash turned to the Normal-Type. "You seem like you're eager to battle. Wanna try? I can get Pikachu to battle with you. And I'll help you with your moves as well."

" _Okay!"_

* * *

Ash made Pikachu stand on the far side of the field as he walked to the Trainer Box near Eevee. He was still tired from exhausting his Aura earlier, and although the Electric-Type seemed suspicious of his Trainer's sudden fatigue, the Mouse Pokemon hadn't voiced his surmise. Charizard and Sceptile had stopped their battle to watch - as it was polite to do so and Pidgeot made sure that her teammates were gentlemen - and were standing next to each other, facing the battlefield. The Flame Pokemon had a twig in his mouth, imitating his teammate and rival as the other Pokemon tried to stay passive.

"Ready?" Ash asked Eevee and looked up to see his Starter warming up his electricity on the other side of the field. "Don't go too hard, Pikachu!"

" _I'll keep it manageable,"_ he shrugged in reply.

Ash held up Dexter to examine Eevee's move. "Oh, I see. That's a pretty decent moveset right there." Double Team, Dig, and Tackle. They could be used together, potentially.

"Pikachu, would you mind if Eevee attacks first?" Ash called to his starter.

" _Nope,"_ came the reply.

"Well then. I'll call attacks out like normal Trainers do so we can avoid confusion, alright?"

" _Great,"_ Pikachu nodded, relieved that he wouldn't have to actually think about whether Ash's commands were actually the commands that he wanted to be executed. That would be a disaster, and since his battle with Steelix and Marshtomp, the Electric-Type had been especially grateful to have Ash as _his_ Trainer.

* * *

"Eevee, start out with Double Team!" Ash commanded.

The Normal-Type jumped into action, and in just a few seconds, there were five copies of Eevee running around the field. The Indigo Plateau Champion could see some flaws in the evasion move, but they could be easily fixed with a bit of practice and speed.

Pikachu, on the other hand, was trying not to show his frustration at actually having to decipher the real Eevee from the rest, as it was usually the Trainer's job to do so. Ash, who was insistent on keeping his Starter on his toes (the Trainer would've spotted the correct one by now), shouted, "Now Tackle! Don't give Pikachu any time to react!"

" _I liked it when Ash was_ _my_ _Trainer,"_ Pikachu grumbled, beginning to swat away copies of Eevee with a hit of Iron Tail. Usually, it would've been a Counter Shield of electricity, Ash realized, but Pikachu knew that he was going against a beginner, and played down the power in exchange for cunningness and trickery.

When Pikachu finally hit the right Eevee, he made sure not to hit her with too much force, or she would faint right away. Nevertheless, the Normal-Type flew across the field with a yelp.

" _You like battling?"_ The Mouse Pokemon asked, grinning.

" _It's fun!"_ Eevee replied as Ash called for Dig. She continued to tunnel around the stadium until the Trainer gave his next command: to keep digging in circles around the spot she was already digging in.

When Pikachu started to move from his spot, Ash yelled, "Up, and Tackle!"

Eevee shot out from the ground just as Pikachu started to run to another location, and slammed him straight into the ground, where the unstable ground collapsed, and Pikachu was left falling into a small hole that the Evolution Pokemon had made.

The Electric-Type smirked, and shot a Thundershock from the hole, dissuading the Normal-Type from using Tackle again. Some parts of the Thundershock scorched Eevee's fur, and she felt a small electric shock

"I think this is a good place to stop," Ash decided, walking onto the field when he saw the small Pokemon looking a little tired. Pikachu shot out of the hole with Agility, and the two Pokemon shook paws.

"You know," Ash looked down at his Starter in contemplation, "if the battle continued, I would've had Eevee use Dig, and Tackle you whenever she got close."

" _Then I would've gotten out of the hole and fired Thundershock into every tunnel until she collapsed,"_ Pikachu retaliated, sticking his tongue out.

"I would've then had Eevee seal a tunnel before jumping out with a Double Team Tackle assault."

Pikachu knew that the verbal battle would get nowhere. Strategy was what Trainers were meant for.

Eevee, on the other hand, was a bit amazed at how she actually managed to make contact with the Electric-Type a few times, even if he was 'going easy.'. If her opponent had used Extreme Speed (or something similar), she would've been defeated in one blow.

" _Ash?"_ she asked.

"Yes?" The boy sat down on a nearby patch of grass, before motioning his Pokemon to start training again. Charizard started with a Flamethrower at the Electric-Type, while Sceptile took the opportunity to jump in with a Dragon Claw to the Fire and Flying-Type's face.

" _How do you always know what to do in a battle?"_ Eevee seemed almost too curious.

"It depends on the situation. Usually, you just have to stay calm and analyze the battle. Other times, you rely on battle instincts and experience."

" _Ash usually relies on luck, though,"_ the Electric-Type teased his Trainer as he flipped over Pidgeot's carefully-executed Sand Attack.

"That was a long time ago! Seriously Pikachu, I get enough of that from Misty!" Ash called out sheepishly.

The Electric-Type smirked, but as he turned around to face his Trainer, wasn't able to sense the incoming Rock Tomb that rained on him.

Ash let out a laugh. "Pikachu, stop getting distracted! You can't do that in battles!"

The Pokemon in question rolled his eyes as he tore out of the Rock Tomb with Brick Break.

* * *

As the group left the field, Ash noticed that his feet were glowing a faint blue. He immediately stamped off the Aura and hoped no one saw him.

Why did his Aura start flaring now, of all times? Was it just because of Charizard firing that Flamethrower at him awhile ago, or was it something more obvious, like his Bond Phenomenon with Greninja…

' _Darn, I need to get this perfected before people start noticing,'_ the Trainer thought to himself.

* * *

 **AN: Hello again. By the way, if you didn't know (and follow this fanfic), I edit the AN a week after posting the chapter. It makes it so that my conversations with you guys (the readers) are topical.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Mahogany Town in Johto, huh. I remember that gym," Gary thought aloud as he glanced at the television screen of the Cerulean City Pokemon Center with an interested look.

"Bree, breon," his Umbreon replied quietly.

The Pokemon Researcher sighed. "We should go investigate. Maybe we'll find some clues about the situation."

"Bree bree?"

"Oh yeah, we were going to visit Misty, right? Eh, she can wait. Team Rocket is more important. Although...maybe she would like to join us?" Gary asked, patting the Dark-Type on the head.

"Um-breon."

"Yeah. Let's ask her now, then head out tomorrow. The sun's setting and I don't think Aerodactyl wants to fly in the dark."

"Bree. Bree bree," came the reply before a silent, contagious yawn made Gary smile.

* * *

Upon seeing the setting sun, a certain raven-haired Pokemon Trainer had decided that it was time to stay in the Pokemon Center for the night. As he and his rowdy gang of friends entered the red-roofed building, they were surprised to see the young woman running around the center in a panic. Pikachu, who was perched on the teen's head, blinked in confusion while the Eevee tucked under his arm showed only excitement

"Nurse Joy?" Ash asked, seeing the Pokemon Nurse's frantic expression. "What's going in? Is Gallade doing fine?"

"He's gone! Oh, this is only my first week of work, and already one has escaped!"

"Wait, but there aren't any windows in the room other than the regular hospital ones," Ash pondered out loud.

The Joy calmed down, letting out a shaky sigh. "Okay. When you were outside, I was helping some Trainers that came in and out, and when I went back to Gallade's room, he was gone! I asked some Trainers, and even a Mightyena and a Gardevoir if they saw anything, and-"

Ash's eyes widened. "Wait, a Gardevoir? Was he male?"

"Yes. I thought-"

The Trainer brought his free hand to his face in an exasperated slap, then realized that he was in public and that his gestures may've not been very appropriate. "That Gardevoir might be a...friend of that Gallade, I bet," the Trainer stammered. "We should go find him, right?" He turned to Pikachu, who was giving his a pretty good 'I'm-pissed-but-you'll-never-know-it' look.

" _Yup! Nurse Joy, we are totally not lying, but you wouldn't know anyway!"_ the Mouse Pokemon cheered enthusiastically.

It was a miracle that Chansey didn't hear those words.

* * *

"You do that a lot, don't you," Ash pointed out as the inseparable duo walked away from the Pokemon Center.

" _Huh?"_ Pikachu asked.

"You do that thing where you act like you act all enthusiastic but actually say something like 'Screw you!'"

" _Oh yeah. I tend to do that a lot, huh. How do you think I made it past Unova?"_

"True. I was almost driven insane."

" _You_ _were_ _driven insane, actually."_

"Hey, it's not _all_ my fault. I didn't know how to read."

" _You seemed fine in Kalos."_

"That's 'cause I finally learned the stupid Western written language," Ash replied, remembering the hours he spent fumbling over a giant textbook he'd checked out from the Viridian City library before his journey to the faraway region. "They have a terrible lettering system. I'd hate to go to school and write with an alphabet like that."

Pikachu laughed. " _It was kinda funny watching you ask for directions when there were literally signs all over the place, you know. Iris kept staring at you like you were an idiot. I mean, you_ _are_ _an idiot, but-"_

"Shut up," the Trainer interrupted with a sheepish grin. " At this rate, I'll have four different written languages memorized by next year. That's redundant."

" _You're_ _redundant,"_ the Electric-Type countered with a smirk. " _Plus, Hoenn and Sinnoh writing is literally derived from Kanto. There's nothing much to it."_

"Hey, that Latin alphabet is hard. You should learn it too."

" _No thanks. Wait, you're saying that you still don't have it down? After_ _two_ _regions?"_

"Of course not. I had Cilan translate the official Unovian battling rules because I was too embarrassed to ask Iris," the teen revealed.

" _Ouch. And I thought losing all those easy battles was bad."_

"You know," the Trainer winked, "let's forget that our Unova journey existed. I was never that immature, and you didn't lose to Trip's Snivy."

" _Deal. Well said, Ash."_

* * *

Ash and crew were in the woods again, and sitting on the forest floor. The acclaimed Trainer was trying to explain the situation.

" _So he's a Gallade_ _and_ _a Gardevoir?"_ Charizard asked.

"It's kind of like your Mega-Evolution, you see. You have an X form and a Y form. In Gallade's case, he also has an 'X' form, being a Gardevoir, and a 'Y' form, being a Gallade. Same Pokemon, two forms."

"Then we're looking for…" Sceptile looked into the distance.

" _Is it thee that thy wants?"_ Gallade appeared in the forest. " _The Nurse hath been annoying."_

"Hey Gallade," Ash stood up. Eevee jumped out of his arms and moved to inspect the Blade Pokemon.

" _Is it a sin to find thyself? Of a burning forest, none shall know its' flowers until one becomes the forest-"_

At Ash's confused look, Sceptile translated. " _He means: 'I need to find my identity. No one understands.'"_

There was a short period of silence as the Trainer and his Pokemon couldn't reply.

Identity used to be easy for Ash to understand. He was a Trainer. A friend of Pokemon. Destined to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master. But as years passed, the teen began to understand that it wasn't as simple as he once thought. He was a loser _and_ a winner. He was a friend _and_ an enemy. To some, he was 'good,' (a friend or mentor) but to others he was 'bad' (an enemy or rival). And although he was looked upon as an accomplished Trainer, it seemed as if his defeats weighed more than his victories. After years of traveling, Ash found that he couldn't define himself anymore.

Gallade had turned away from the group and had begun to leave.

"I have a friend that you could go to," the teen thought aloud. "He knows all about life's unfairness and Team Rocket."

The Psychic-Type whirled around. " _Who is that?"_

"You'll see."

* * *

Mewtwo stood from a tower in Celadon City, hood and cape hiding his identity. He looked around, found an alley, and flew down into the shadows, unseen by the human population.

* * *

"How does someone find Mewtwo?" Ash muttered to himself, walking from shelf to shelf in the local library.

" _This,"_ Pikachu explained to Eevee and Gallade, " _is an imposter of Ash. Whenever Ash goes into a library or starts to read, he switches bodies with a smarter Ash and when that Ash comes out, he switches bodies again."_

" _Really?"_ Eevee asked, tilting her head in interest, before yawning. It was early in the morning.

" _No, Pikachu's just being Pikachu,"_ Ash replied, and reached for a particularly heavy book before realizing that the weight of his stack had been unevenly distributed.

The tower of books crashed onto the carpet with a thud. A woman nearby turned around and shushed the group in annoyance.

Sceptile, who was reading a particularly thick Physics textbook, laughed.

" _And that theory goes out the window…"_

* * *

"They say a mysterious Pokemon with an incredible psychic mind has been seen in multiple large cities around the world," Ash read to Gallade. "So it seems like Mewtwo likes to travel the world, and would probably come to us if we stay in a spot with enough people. Let's go to the nearest metropolis and just wait for him, alright?"

" _That's Goldenrod City,"_ Pidgeot commented, looking up into the sky. " _I can carry Ash, but the rest of you fatties will have to get in your Pokeballs."_

" _I'm not fat!"_ Charizard whined, making Sceptile roll his eyes.

"Gallade, do you know Teleport?" The Pokemon Trainer asked.

" _I do,"_ the Blade Pokemon responded.

" _And that works too, I suppose,"_ Pidgeot compromised.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for the short chapter. Most of this is unedited work, so I'll edit this another time (and yes, Crestilia, this is a reminder that you should edit sometime).**


	8. Chapter 8

**Have fun.**

* * *

The team had finally arrived in Goldenrod City with a swift Teleport from Gallade.

"So I think we should go to the Pokemon Center now. We can get a pretty sizable room for the night, and you guys can roam the city," Ash suggested. "Be sure to look for Mewtwo, alright?"

" _Hey, Ash…"_ Charizard spoke up, staring at a Pokemon Tournament poster featured on a wall.

"Fine. Just don't blow anything up or hurt anyone severely. Sceptile, in case you're wondering, you go ahead too."

The Trainer turned to Pidgeot. "And you. Let's not spend my money, okay? Find me if you want something, but you can go window shopping. For everyone else, go do whatever. I'm going to head to the-"

" _Can I go with you?"_ Eevee asked, clinging onto Ash's jacket.

"Alright, then. Uh, it's still morning, so you can either find food somewhere, or meet at the Pokemon Center for lunch in about two hours and eat there, but I won't be back until dinner. Got it?"

A chorus of miscellaneous yesses responded.

"Good."

* * *

"On the left, we have Corsola and Wyatt, and on the left, a Charizard...with no Trainer," the man announced, blinking in surprise as he saw Ash's Fire and Flying-Type make a grand entrance, whose roar shook the entire stadium.

When Wyatt saw the giant lizard, he smirked. "I don't know who you are, or where your Trainer is, but I'm going to beat you!" he shouted confidently.

Charizard just motioned for his opponent to attack. Sceptile, who was sitting in the front of the stadium, longed for his turn to battle.

"Water Gun!" Wyatt commanded.

" _Blast Burn it is..."_

* * *

" _Such a shame that Ash isn't very fond of dress-up,"_ Pidgeot sighed, walking along the path with a Furfrou.

" _Yeah, my Trainer also has no sense of fashion, and it just gets to me sometimes, you know?"_

" _Oh yes,"_ the Flying-Type replied. " _His hair is_ _such_ _a disaster, and I had to go get him a beanie hat to tame it at least a little."_

The Furfrou rolled her eyes. " _And the way they eat, oh gosh! You should meet Alex. He's a great Trainer, but as for clothes and language..."_

" _What do you mean?"_ Pidgeot asked.

" _It always gets on my nerves when he says 'you guys,' you know? No sense of feminism anywhere these days..."_

" _Huh."_

* * *

Pikachu ran around the city, looking for his old friends, the Pichu Brothers. He had almost spotted them multiple times around the area, but they've always turned out to be a Plusle or something. Pikachu narrowed his eyes at the sight of a yellow tail behind a building, and searched on, climbing on a truck as it started moving.

* * *

"My love, we shall be together forever!" Nidoking grasped Nidoqueen's paw.

"May we never extinguish like an eternal flame!" The Nidoqueen replied.

A Human suddenly walked on stage. "We will now pause for a quick intermission..."

Gallade was having a great time.

* * *

Ash and Eevee were near the Goldenrod City beach, in a secluded area surrounded by rocks where no one was watching.

"Hey Eevee," Ash put her down on a stone. "Is it okay to ask about Team Rocket?"

The Evolution Pokemon nodded a little, looking down sadly as Ash walked around the little clearing, arms behind his back.

"You were at the furnace," the Pokemon Trainer thought aloud. "What made Team Rocket want to...take you there?"

Only the sound of Pidgey cawing and the shuffle of the teen's feet on sand was left in the air as the Normal-Type stared at the Trainer.

Eevee's eyes filled with tears. " _I couldn't do it,"_ she finally replied after a few seconds of silence.

"Do what?" Ash whispered back.

Another silence ensued, and the Trainer tried not to focus on how he was terrible at comforting others. He glanced at the Normal-Type and noticed that she had developed a confident expression of silent will.

The Evolution Pokemon tried to concentrate. She thought of Sceptile's grace, his power and how he dodged all of Charizard's attacks. How he was so _in tune_ with nature.

"Oh wow," Ash smiled, petting the Leafeon that stood before him. "I'm guessing that they didn't see your full potential."

" _Hmmm?"_ Leafeon was confused.

"They probably thought you weren't good enough, huh? I think that with enough practice, you'll master this down." Ash looked at the ocean. "Can you do other forms?"

The Pokemon turned back into an Eevee, and tilted her head, a little more excited than before. " _Team Rocket said that I could do all of them. But I couldn't."_ she bounced into Ash's arms. " _Can you teach me?"_

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" The teen asked. He set the Eevee down and walked over to where smooth waves were washing in.

" _Ash?"_ the Evolution Pokemon asked.

"You know, Eevee," the Trainer said, staring at the shoreline with a pensive look. "Being unique isn't necessarily bad. In fact, you'd be very useful in battle if you were _my_ Pokemon. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes it's fun to be a little different."

" _What do you mean?"_

Ash scooped up the confused Eevee and jumped into the sea.

* * *

Pikachu had found the Pichu Brothers, finally. But somehow, they had gotten themselves stuck in the sewers. And it _smelled_.

" _Ash is going to hate this. No,_ _Pidgeot_ _is going to hate this," the Electric-Type muttered to himself._

* * *

Eevee was surprised to find herself in a thread of gold, zooming through the water. Hundreds of Pokemon swam by with curious expressions, catching her attention.

"Don't get too excited," Ash said, appearing next to her in his own golden comet.

" _What_ ' _s this?"_ Eevee asked. A hint of excitement laced her voice, making the Trainer grin unconsciously.

"I told you, I'm magical," Ash replied, and spread out his arms, enjoying the view.

When Eevee didn't respond, the teen chuckled. "Nah, this was just the result of an adventure a few years back or so. And yes, my Pokemon know."

" _Is_ _that_ _why you can understand me?"_

"That was another adventure," Ash explained as he turned both golden tubes around with a mere thought. "I'll get Pikachu to tell you later. Anyway, back to the point. Eevee, I want you to know that although I don't publicly show my abilities, I still accept them as a part of me. And plus, I think swimming in the water like this is fun. It attracts the Water-Types, right?"

Eevee nodded vigorously, giggling as a Luvdisc approached the two.

As Ash watched the Normal-Type play with all the water-dwelling Pokemon and reflected his words. They seemed to cheer the Evolution Pokemon up.

Even if they were lies.

* * *

Dinner at the Pokemon Center was eventful.

" _That was the stupidest thing ever!"_ Sceptiles moaned.

Charizard was happily showing off his new medal.

" _I was going to win if it wasn't for that time limit!"_ The Grass-Type complained, glaring at his rival. _"It wasn't even mentioned by the referee!"_

" _So where is that one-year supply of food?"_ Pikachu asked, back from his shower.

" _Professor Oak's Lab."_

" _So Snorlax ate it all?"_ The Electric-Type groaned, jumping onto Ash's lap.

" _Boys. All they care about is eating,"_ Pidgeot muttered to Eevee, who grinned.

"So," Ash looked around the table, "did any of you guys-"

He was cut off by Pidgeot's screeching, " _I declare sexism!"_

The Trainer started to say something, but coughed instead, looking around at the various Trainers starting to stare at their table. "I'm sorry, Pidgeot," he tried to say with a straight face, "but I don't know what you're saying. Would you mind asking me later?"

This received giggles from the table, but Ash pretended to be unable to listen to the conversation, and instead, was looking sheepishly at the other Trainers, apologizing silently for the ruckus.

" _Since our Trainer is oblivious to what we say,"_ Pikachu gazed mischievously at his teammates, " _we should totally talk trash about him to the other Pokemon around here."_

" _If you do that,"_ Ash used Aura to talk telepathically into each Pokemon's mind, " _I'm not letting you have ketchup for a month, Pikachu. Anyway, did any of you see Mewtwo or Gallade?"_

Pikachu looked horrified at the ketchup comment, and few shakes of heads and "no's" made Ash wonder where they were.

* * *

In the bedroom, all the Pokemon were gathered around the Trainer. "Tomorrow you guys-"

" _Sexism!"_

"Tomorrow _y'all_ ," Ash glanced at Pidgeot momentarily, "can go do whatever again, and meet up at the Pokemon Center for dinner. I'd like it if you didn't split and at least went in pairs or something."

" _Why don't we all go to that competition again tomorrow?"_ Pikachu asked. " _Then I could beat both of you!"_

" _That would be fun!"_ Eevee agreed. " _Can I watch?"_ The Normal-Type was slowly warming up to the team and had been bouncing around more than usual that evening.

" _As long as you stay with at least one of us throughout the competition,"_ Pidgeot replied, nodding. She found that she enjoyed having another female on the team, and liked the young Pokemon's energetic and lighthearted personality.

"Actually Pidgeot," Ash turned to his Bird Pokemon, "I'll come find you sometime in the afternoon, because I really need to train some other Pokemon, and I don't think Professor Oak would let me have more than six Pokemon at a time..."

" _You're going to steal your own Pokemon?"_ Pikachu asked, confused.

"Why not? I'll leave a note."

* * *

Mewtwo found himself face to face with another Mewtwo. A female Mewtwo.

' _I did not expect this,'_ the other Psychic-Type admitted, touching down on top of the building he was levitating above. ' _Family, in this lonely world of mine.'_

' _Funny, is it?'_ Mewtwo took off the hood of his cloak, letting it drop down. ' _Companionship. It's almost a dream.'_

' _It's not a dream anymore,'_ she replied, and Mewtwo smiled.

' _Why don't we share our stories?'_ he asked. ' _I doubt they'll be boring.'_

' _I was taught that some humans are good by a naive boy.'_

' _I was stopped from destroying the world by a naive boy.'_

The other Mewtwo chuckled slightly. ' _It seems that we were_ _both_ _taught lessons. I'll go first, then.'_

* * *

It was the next morning, and Ash had finally found some quiet time alone to practice his Aura.

"It seems that I can make barriers with this," he whispered to himself, "but what else can I do? Construct buildings? Walk on water? Fly? Maybe even search for Gallade?"

If he could bend his Aura in its physical form, he could do many things.

But there was one...tiny problem. Ash didn't mind using his powers much when he was with other Pokemon because they used Flamethrower and Water Gun like he used Aura Sphere. But around other people…

It wasn't that he didn't like using Aura. It led to some great practice battles with his Pokemon. Although it used up so much of his energy and sometimes felt like his own body was being torn apart, he was getting pretty adept at controlling it.

No. It was more like he was a little wary of the presence of others.

Was it a heightened paranoia? Or was it just a fear of being different?

Either way, the Trainer knew that he just had to deal with it. Move on. There was no point in moping around about it.

He didn't have time for that.

* * *

Gallade wandered through the busy streets, staring up at the skyscrapers that touched the sky. He knew Ash was probably worried but didn't really feel like going back...

* * *

"Next up, is a Pikachu with no Trainer on the green side, and Wesley with his Nosepass on the red side!"

"Hah," Wesley looked at the other side of the field with pride. "My Nosepass is strong, and an electric-type can never beat a Rock-Type!"

" _Hey Sceptile,"_ Charizard tilted his head. " _Doesn't Pikachu have a history of beating Rock-Types?"_

" _Yeah, and somehow it works. Wonder why,"_ the Grass-Type responded.

" _Didn't Ash used to train Pikachu by ordering him to fire at rocks?"_ The Flame Pokemon wondered aloud.

Sceptile shrugged. " _I thought he still did that."_

* * *

"C'mon, Pidgeot, time to go. I promise it won't take long," Ash practically pleaded.

" _Fine. My next match isn't until an hour or so later…"_

"Wait, but it takes an hour just to get to the lab," the Trainer voiced his thoughts.

Pidgeot glanced up at the sky, smirking a little. " _Oh, we'll get there, alright. You'll see."_

* * *

Ash was having trouble holding onto Pidgeot and his letter to Professor Oak. He was also trying his hardest not to scream, which wasn't working well.

From far below, a sonic boom could be heard, startling many Pokemon and humans alike.

* * *

"Hey, Infernape," Ash walked up to his Fire and Fighting-Type. "How are you?"

" _Hey, Ash. I'm doing well, thanks for asking."_

The Trainer narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure? You're usually a little more lively than this."

" _Whatever you say."_

"You're avoiding the question, Infernape. I don't think you're okay," the teen replied, crossing his arms.

The Fire and Fighting-Type looked up, surprised. " _Wait, since when could you understand me?"_

"Oh. Uh...a while ago, actually."

" _I see. Well, sorry for my outburst,"_ the Flame Pokemon apologized.

"Nah, it's fine. What's bothering you?"

" _It's noth-"_

"C'mon, Infernape. If I let you go, I wouldn't be a good Trainer."

" _Wh-when are you going to add me onto the team?"_ the Fighting-Type asked.

"Oh. I see where this is going," Ash thought aloud. "Actually, I wanted to find you for something. Meet me around here in a few minutes. "Oh, and bring Torterra, a Tauros, Noivern, Hawlucha, and Swellow."

As Infernape ran away with a newfound enlightened mood, Ash reflected the decision of his team when he first started his Team Rocket journey. The Fire-Type didn't have much self-esteem, and the Trainer didn't feel like the presence Charizard would boost it.

* * *

"Alright."

" _AshAshAshAsh! Woah, this is so cool!"_ Swellow cheered, pure excitement plastered on his face.

" _Hmmm. This sure is a change,"_ the Tauros agreed.

"Uh, yeah. So I'm in need of some Pokemon to go on an expedition for me…"

* * *

Bulbasaur was having his patience tested. Ash had appeared earlier and had given a note to him in order to deliver to the Professor.

" _You didn't have to eat the letter, Snorlax."_

The Pokemon in question didn't answer; he was fast asleep. Again.

" _What are we going to do now?"_ Quilava asked, her flame flickering a bit brighter than usual with anxiety.

The grass-type just sighed.

* * *

"Bulba, bulbasaur! Bulbasaur bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur used his vines to try to reenact what happened.

"Okay, so you flew on a sandwich, and it turned into a Pokeball," Professor Oak guessed. "Tracy, will you help me try to understand Bulbasaur?"

"Sure thing," the teen ran into the room, sketchbook in tow.

"Bulbasaur! Bulba bulba bulbasaur, bulbasaur!" Ash's Pokemon tried to explain a bit more thoroughly. He even pointed to the Pidgey flock flying above.

Tracy frowned. "Pokemon ate papers and it rained Pidgey?"

The exasperated Seed Pokemon shook his head furiously.

* * *

"Professor Oak! Some of Ash's Pokemon have disappeared!" Tracy yelled as he rushed outside into the corral, where the Pokemon Professor was experimenting (mostly playing) with Rotom.

"Oh really, was that what Bulbasaur was trying to say earlier?"

The Pokemon Watcher thought for a second, then replied, "I don't know."

"Well, I guess we'll have to find the Pokemon," Oak sighed. "Do you know why the rest of his Pokemon look a bit happier?"

"They do?" Tracy asked.

Nearby, Bulbasaur and Corphish were listening to the conversation.

" _I guess we'll have to ask Ash for another letter,"_ he sighed _. "It's great that he can understand us now, and I know the rest of us are glad, but sometimes I wish Professor Oak could too, you know?"_

Corphish hadn't been listening to Bulbasaur at all. " _What?"_ he asked as he realized that the Seed Pokemon was giving him an expectant look.

A Vine Whip slapped the Ruffian Pokemon hard, making the Water-Type yelp and run in circles.

* * *

 **AN: Hello again! I guess this is where I'll be replying to my reviews. Just remember that after a week, I update the AN with something less lengthy.**

 **Hmmm. Where's Infernape's team going? You'll have to find out! (Please don't forget about them or I'll some explaining to do...)**


	9. Chapter 9

The teen and his newly acquired Unovian Pokemon had settled on the Goldenrod City beach, away from most of the tourist population.

" _Ash! It's such a pleasure to see you again!"_ Leavanny greeted with a cock of his head, examining the Trainer. " _Where are we?"_

"Goldenrod City. I was hoping to meet a Pokemon named Mewtwo here because I needed to introduce a friend to him, but things got complicated, and I guess we-"

" _Ash?"_ Unfezant suddenly asked, interrupting him.

"Yeah?"

The Flying-Type narrowed her eyes, staring up at her Trainer. Somehow, her Trainer wasn't the same Ash that had journeyed through Unova with her. " _Stop rambling, or you're gonna kill yourself out of worry."_

The teen scratched his head in confusion. "Did Pidgeot-"

" _AshAshAsh! There's a cute Mawile over there and and and...I think I'm in love,"_ Oshawott announced, practically drooling as his eyes remained fixed on a Fairy-Type playing with her Trainer around the other side of the beach.

" _Snap out of it, Lover Boy,"_ Snivy scolded, smacking him with a Vine Whip. Somehow, it always landed on _her_ to keep Oshawott away from the poor ladies that he tried to pursue, because unlike everyone else on her team, the Grass Snake Pokémon understood the horror of love. She remembered that Meganium had mentioned one of Ash's traveling companions named Brock who supposedly acted like Oshawott, but the Human had a girl named Misty, a boy named Max, and a Croagunk to keep him in check. Snivy was apparently the only one who would even attempt to handle Oshawott.

Ash smiled at the fiasco, seemingly unaware of the drama. "So, are you gu-" the Trainer stopped in mid-sentence as if catching himself from saying something profane. "Are y'all ready to train?" he corrected himself.

" _I'm always ready!"_ Pignite raised a hoof, eager.

" _Heehee, we'll see about that,"_ Palpitoad smirked.

" _Hmph,"_ Scraggy huffed at the Water-Type.

"Okay, let's get started!" The Trainer cheered as he pumped a fist into the air, pleased that his Pokemon were so eager to become stronger.

* * *

" _Yo, Charidude, it's been a while,_ " Krookodile greeted, recognizing the giant Fire-Type through his sunglasses. It was dinner, and Ash had returned from a day of heated training that tested his patience once he realized that most of his Unovian Pokémon weren't as serious about training as he had thought.

" _It has, hasn't it,"_ Charizard replied, still a bit discouraged from his loss at the tournament earlier that day. " _Only like two months or so."_

Krookodile was offended. " _Bro, when you miss me, you_ _say_ _you miss me,"_ he huffed.

" _And then Pikachu shocked that Nosepass silly,"_ Sceptile recounted to whoever would listen. " _It was funny, and I kind of-"_

" _Ash! Where did you hide my ketchup?"_ Pikachu suddenly yelled, interrupting the story.

"I have no idea where your ketchup is," the Trainer replied, trying not to look suspicious.

" _And then the Purrloin was like, 'I hate you,' and I was like 'Of course you do. I just beat you,' and then she was like-"_ Pidgeot was rambling when she was cut off.

" _Giving you the look?"_ Snivy interrupted with a smirk.

" _Exactly, it was so annoying!"_ Pidgeot replied, unable to catch the hint of amusement in Snivy's voice.

Eevee was confused. " _What's 'the look?'"_

" _You'll find out when you're older,"_ Unfezant replied, joining the conversation.

"Hey Pikachu," Ash called for his partner. " _Boldore doesn't speak much, does he."_

" _Nah,"_ his trusty partner replied. " _He's mostly a quiet guy."_

"Oh."

Pignite was trying to fix Oshawott's girl problem.

" _All you really have to do is not think about it,"_ the Fire-Type suggested.

" _But that Mawile! How could one_ _not_ _think about the way she held herself, that beautiful face, how she smiled next to her Trainer…"_

Pignite groaned.

"So who won that competition?" Ash voiced the question on his mind.

" _I did,"_ Pikachu answered pridefully.

"Of course."

* * *

The next day, Pikachu had insisted on following Ash to wherever he was going. The Trainer had accepted companionship, but had reminded his Unova Pokemon that training was still mandatory after lunch at the beach.

Ash's Pokemon had all gone their separate ways, although the boy had a slight suspicion that some of his more eccentric Pokemon would be looking for tournaments around the city (and there were quite a few).

The duo was on the edge of the city, right next to the forest nearby. Pikachu had gotten some berries from a nearby tree, and the partners were enjoying a small snack.

"We haven't talked in a while, haven't we?" the Trainer spoke, grinning.

" _Technically, this is the first time,"_ the Electric-Type reasoned. " _Language barrier, remember?"_

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that. Heh, this is awkward, isn't it?"

" _It's a relative thing."_

"What does that even mean?"

" _Dunno. Heard it from somewhere."_

"I mean, I've heard 'It's a trap!' before, but this one's new," the Trainer chuckled.

" _I'm pretty sure you say that every time we fall into a hole."_

"Nope. It's always different. I especially like 'What is the meaning of this?!' and 'Who are you?!'"

" _You're hilarious."_

"Thanks, ' _buddy_.'"

The Electric-Type laughed. " _Heh. That's another good one. Now, weren't we going to have a heart-to-heart bonding moment?"_

"Oh yeah. So...what do you wanna talk about?"

* * *

"Hey hey hey Pignite!"

"Hm?" the Fire-Type asked, looking up from a pile of food that probably wasn't good for him. "What is it, Oshawott?"

"Lookie! It's the Mawile!"

* * *

" _Seriously, Ash. You still haven't figured out your little super powers?"_

" _How can I? It's not like I was thrown out of time and commanded to master Aura and Sea King business or else I wouldn't see my precious Pikachu again,"_ the Pokemon Trainer sighed, although there was a hint of a joke in his words.

" _Very funny. Now all we need is for you to start flying and breathing underwater,"_ Ash's Starter muttered.

" _Actually, I may be able to do that too."_

Pikachu just rolled his eyes, smirking slightly. " _You're going to kill someone. I'm not going near you again."_

"Awww, then what was the point of spending time with me?"

The Electric-Type just stuck a tongue out at his Trainer in response.

"Oh, I see how it is."

" _And what about that Indigo Plateau Conference? And the Orange Island Champion title? Or the Frontier Brain stuff? You know that you are technically the newest Orange Island Champion, and the 8th Frontier Brain of Kanto?"_ the Electric-Type asked, a bit exasperated.

"They offered me those positions. Doesn't mean I took them," Ash replied.

" _I think if some stupid, arrogant Trainer comes along and sweeps through the Battle Frontier with a Mega Charizard X or something, Brandon will make them look for you."_

Ash shrugged, nonchalant. "Is it _that_ important, though?"

" _You really need to get your priorities straight."_

"I think disbanding Team Rocket is a pretty good priority," the Trainer defended himself, staring up at the trees and thinking a little about Gallade. He was worried but knew that the Pokemon needed his personal space.

" _It is, but so is that Elite Four Challenge."_

"There's an Elite Four Challenge?"

" _Yeah. After you win a Conference, you can challenge the Elite Four and beat Lance for the title of Champion. And if you beat all of the Elite Four but not the Champion, you can get on the pending list for Elite Four members. I heard Agatha was retiring sooner or later. Oh, and there's the World Champion League stuff, but it's in Unova and you don't want to go there again. Yet."_

Ash sighed. "It's sad. I think I'm already considered as a Pokemon Master, but I guess I still don't feel like I have enough experience to be one."

" _By the way, you also have that 'Chosen One' thing with Ho-oh and Lugia and the rest of the world,"_ Pikachu said as he recalled the large number of prophecies his Trainer had been involved in.

"Stop reminding me," Ash replied, pouting playfully at his Starter. The teen's mind wandered a little as he reflected on his Pokemon's words.

"Wait, Ho-oh's involved?"

" _Apparently. You didn't know?"_

"Why is my life so complicated?"

" _That's a good question."_

* * *

Behind a nearby tree, Gallade was eavesdropping in on the conversation. It was a pity Ash's Aura Sight wasn't fully mastered. Or anywhere close, for that matter.

" _The young one has a heart,"_ a deep, masculine telepathy rang in his mind. The Sword Pokemon turned to find a pink, bipedal feline Pokemon levitating a few inches above the ground, arms crossed.

" _Excuse me?"_ Gallade asked.

Mewtwo chuckled. " _If it wasn't for him and his Pikachu, most of Kanto, and maybe even the world would've been destroyed by my storm of revenge."_

" _What?"_

" _And if it wasn't for him again,"_ the Psychic-Type chuckled, " _I would've been in the hands of Team Rocket, carrying out their evil desires to rule over the world with Pokemon."_

The young Fighting-Type stared back in response. " _Who are you?"_ he asked.

" _I am Mewtwo, created by Team Rocket to be the strongest Pokemon in the world."_

" _Team Rocket, you say?"_ Gallade whispered, almost to himself.

" _Yes. Now tell me about you. If Ash was looking for me because of you, it must be important,"_ Mewtwo smiled a little at the Blade Pokemon's look of suspicion.

Of course, psychics read others' minds all the time.

" _Well,"_ Gallade acquiesced. " _I lived in Lumiose City; lovely town, by the way. I especially loved talking to that Garchomp that lived with Professor Sycamore. Such a fine m'dam. Unfortunately, one night she went out of control…"_

* * *

" _Ash Ketchum,"_ Pikachu rolled his eyes. " _You are in deep trouble."_

"I know," the Trainer lolled his head back in frustration. "I know, I know. I know that I haven't seen any of my friends in so long, and am traveling without any human companions to 'guide me.' I know my mom is probably worried sick and that letter I sent Professor Oak wasn't entirely genuine…"

The Electric-Type started playing with a tuft of grass on the ground, swatting it repeatedly for his own amusement. " _You know, your hands are blue again. Just saying."_

Ash realized that his hands were in fact balled up into fists, and glowing blue. The stump he was sitting on had begun to grow tiny branches with leaves.

" _Anger issues, Ketchum,"_ Pikachu smirked.

"I don't have anger issues…"

" _Hah! I'd like to believe that."_

"Very funny."

The Electric-Type shrugged. " _Trust me. It's a_ _mental_ _thing. Remember when you were just a beginner in that stupid blue and white jacket and jeans?"_

Ash raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't _that_ stupid…was it?"

" _And Charizard wouldn't listen to you, no matter how much you yelled at him…"_ Pikachu continued, grinning widely.

"Hey, he realized I was a cool person in the Orange Islands and-"

" _You know you could've gotten in the Top 8 if you'd used someone other than Charizard in the Indigo League,"_ Pikachu retorted.

"Or if you were stronger and could beat that-"

" _Hey, this is about you, not me here!"_

"Of course, of course. It's me who has all the problems," Ash joked.

" _Yes. Correct. You get an A."_

* * *

"Today, you'll be battling me," Ash explained to his Unova team.

" _You?"_ Unfezant looked shocked, and maybe a bit worried. _"Isn't it dangerous?"_

The teen laughed, but not before glancing around the rocky beach, wary of spectators. "Nah. I've survived Charizard, and y'all should know that he's really strong."

" _You really think you can win against_ _all_ _of us?"_ Palpitoad questioned.

" _Of course he can!"_ Pignite shouted eagerly. " _He's Ash!"_

"Don't forget to work as a team," the Trainer instructed his Scraggy. "And when you get tired, don't hesitate to sit out."

" _Right,"_ the Shedding Pokemon muttered unconvincingly, which made the boy laugh internally. It was obvious that although the Fighting and Dark-Type respected everyone in his team, he didn't always like to show it.

" _After training, can I please go down to the beach again? That Fennekin…"_ Oshawott's voice faded off when he received a glare from Snivy.

Boldore nodded his head at his Trainer, signaling that the team was ready.

"Alright. Now, attack me."

* * *

Oshawott was surprised when his Hydro Pump was blocked by a glowing shield that reminded the Water-Type of the move Protect. Ash stood in the middle, crouched a battle stance as trembling hands struggled to hold up the wall of Aura. His eyes glowed a faint but brilliant blue, and the motion of pushing thin air caused the barrier to slam into a shocked Tepig and Unfezant.

 _"Attack from my side! Now!"_ Palpitoad (a bit bossy like always) commanded the others, and Leavanny and Boldore immediately moved next to the Water and Ground-Type, followed by Snivy, Pignite, and Unfezant. But before any of them could attack, Oshawott immediately started hacking at the shield with a Razor Shell, blocking Ash from the rest of the Pokemon.

 _"Oshawott!"_ Scraggy yelled, annoyed, as he readied his Focus Blast. _"Stop being stupid!"_

 _"Lover Boy, you're not giving us any room!"_ Snivy echoed the Shedding Pokemon's words.

Oshawott's scallop fell out of his hand when Krookodile promptly jumped out from Dig, making Ash lose concentration and release an Aura Sphere out of instinct. A Leaf Storm, Flamethrower, Mud Shot, and a Flash Cannon immediately fired, but were deflected upward by the Aura Adept, causing the attacks to combine into an exploding firework.

Suddenly, vines wrapped around the Trainer's legs with Snivy's graceful Vine Whip, and the teen almost got a faceful of String Shots before blocking just in time by twisting around instantaneously and sending out an Aura Sphere in the direction of his Pokemon.

Unfortunately, one of Levanny's String Shots had attached itself to Ash, and before his Trainer could yank it off, the Grass-Type used an Energy Ball to ensure the hit.

It made contact, and Ash stumbled, crumpling the ground because of Snivy's vines around his legs. He quickly pulled free, and shaped the energy into blades reminiscent of Greninja's Cut. The Trainer swung, and managed to hit some of his Pokemon with carefully planned slices. Oshawott immediately engaged in a sword fight with his Trainer, while Ash either deflected or dodged the rest of the attacks coming towards him. Occasionally, the Aura Adept would thrust at his opponents with an Aura-enhanced jab of his swords, which would hit his Pokemon and cause damage, especially to Boldore and Krookodile, who were Rock-Type and Dark-Type Pokemon trying to defend against the Fighting-Type move Aura Sphere.

Eventually, Ash managed to tire out Scraggy - who relied too much on High Jump Kick, Oshawott - who didn't listen to his comrades, and Boldore - who the teen didn't blame for having a Type disadvantage. The Pokemon didn't want to rest, but their Trainer encouraged them to do so, saying that it was fine. They sat on the rocks to the side of the battlefield, cheering their teammates on.

One of Ash's Aura swords had molded into a shield, and he was furiously trying to block every move that came at him, which was tiring, considering Pignite's Brick Break crushing every Aura Barrier the Trainer tried to put up.

"I need to teach some of you Double Team," the teen grinned as he punched out an Aura Sphere at Leavanny and Palpitoad before leaping out of the way of another Dig from Krookodile.

Snivy tried another Vine Whip, but Ash used his Aura to drive the vines into Pignite's Flamethrower. Snivy growled a little at Pignite but reminded herself to keep her cool. As some of Palpitoad's Mud Shot covered Ash's eyes, she smirked, and sent out a Leaf Storm, yelling at her team to keep back. When her Trainer either dodged or blocked most of the leaves, the Grass-Type was a little shocked but encouraged Pignite to execute another Brick Break.

Soon, Leavanny - it turned out that Aura Sphere could also ride on Levanny's String Shots - and Palpitoad - who just didn't have much battling experience in general- were exhausted, and Ash told them to take a rest. The Indigo Plateau Champion was already sweating hard, trying to keep on his feet. Finally, after a few rounds of constant battling, the Trainer managed to tire out Pignite and Unfezant.

Krookodile came up from another Dig, dealing some damage and tripping the teen, but a few quick Aura Spheres managed to get the Type-disadvantaged Pokemon on the bench.

" _Dude, seriously...I got no bro love here,"_ the Dark-Type mumbled.

Snivy looked around at her cheering teammates, and at her exhausted Trainer. _This_ wasn't the Ash she knew in Unova. _This_ Ash was calm, confident, and aware of the pain his Pokemon went through in every battle. Although Unfeazant was worried that something was wrong with the Human, the Grass-Type Unova Starter understood that _this_ was the Trainer that she had admired throughout her journey.

Evolution luck. Dodging the wrong way. Seemingly improvisatory tactics. It was all a part of Ash's strategy.

She could see the disappointment in her Trainer's eyes. Like he blamed _himself_ for the League loss. Did her Trainer think the team was weak?

Snivy scowled, understanding. Pikachu and Charizard, two of her Trainer's old Pokemon, had practically carried the Unovian Pokemon through every battle they entered.

With the glow of evolution, the Grass-Type promptly evolved, welcoming the new energy she encountered within herself. Servine smirked confidently at her Trainer's surprised but genuinely pleased expression, and started to prepare her newest attack…

"Servine, you're going to kill me if this continues," her Trainer joked, and raised both hands in surrender. "I give. You win."

Ash sat down on a nearby stone, wiping sweat from his forehead and catching his breath.

"Let me give you some pointers, Sni—uh, Servine. Your Solar Beam seemed pretty powerful but needs to take less time charging time. And your Vine Whips might want precision practice. Congrats on evolving by the way," Ash said, and with all the fatigue built up inside of him, promptly passed out.

* * *

" _Should we be worried?"_ Unfezant asked, a little perturbed.

" _Nah,"_ Palpitoad replied lethargically. " _He's fine."_

" _Can_ _anyone here use Heal Bell?"_ Leavanny piped up, also a bit distraught. When no one answered, he sighed. _"And that's another move Ash needs to teach us…"_

" _How are we going to move him back to the Center?"_ Scraggy wondered aloud.

" _My vines, of...nevermind,"_ The Grass-Type winced at her charred vines.

" _Sorry Servine,"_ Pignite apologized, penitent.

" _It's fine. We'll just have Krookodile carry him,"_ the Grass Snake Pokemon answered.

" _Me? Why me?"_

" _You're the biggest out of all of us, and can probably carry Ash with the most ease, right?"_ The newly-evolved Pokemon inquired, although she already knew the answer.

" _Why can't Boldore do it?"_

" _He's pretty hard,"_ Unfezant patted Boldore on the back to prove her point, " _Ash wouldn't feel very comfortable."_

Boldore nodded, glad to not be stuck with carrying the heavy Trainer.

" _Fine, fine. But I get someone else's food for dinner."_

Everyone turned to Oshawott, who was staring at another Pokemon down the beach, fazed by her 'beautiful face' and 'joyful smile.'

When the Water-Type turned around and realized that everyone was giving him a weird look, he narrowed his eyes. " _What's going on?! Can't you see I have important business here?"_

The rest of the Pokemon silently agreed that Krookodile would get _his_ food.

* * *

 _"You know, I just had the most fabulous of ideas,"_ Leavanny spoke up as the exotic Pokemon continued their trek to the Pokemon Center.

 _"Hmmm?"_ Pignite asked. _"What is it? Does it concern food? I'm hungry."_

Next to the Fire-Type, the Nurturing Pokemon grinned widely and twirled around in circles of excitement.

 _"After this, I'll make everyone clothes of the freshest leaves to commemorate the great bonding time we had today!"_

 _"Nope,"_ Palpitoad replied. _"Not going to happen."_

 _"Awww, c'mon!"_ Servine teased the Vibration Pokemon, poking him in the stomach. _"If I had it my way, you'd be first in line for a new look!"_

* * *

 **AN: Hi. Hope you enjoyed. Why are the Unovian Pokemon here? You'll have to find out...not anytime soon.**


	10. Chapter 10

"I see," Ash nodded. "You're going off with Mewtwo, then?"

" _Yes. Thank you for showing me the sunshine, Ash. I shall meet with you again, so please let me join your cohort of warriors in future...competitions when I arrive,"_ the Sword Pokemon said, bowing. " _And please let me be of your assistance in your war of the Rockets."_

"Uh, I'll save a spot for you," the teen replied hesitantly, shaking hands with Gallade.

The Trainer and his Pikachu waved at their new friend as he walked to the two Psychic-Types standing behind the Sword Pokemon.

"Remember to visit!" Ash yelled.

Gallade glanced back, lifting the corners of his mouth is a genuine smile. The duo watched as the Fighting-Type disappeared with the two Mewtwos (Ash had a slight suspicion that his old friend had a crush) with the bright flash of Teleport.

Pikachu climbed from Ash's shoulder to his head. " _Jeez Ketchum, you're heavy! Why don't you lose some weight and spare me some pain?!"_

The teen realized that his Pokemon's voice sounded a little like...Krookodile?

Ash woke up in the Intimidation Pokemon's arms with a strangled cry of distress, making the Dark-Type jump in surprise and lose his balance. Both Human and Pokemon landed on the ground with a thud and a few strings of profane language (from Krookodile, of course).

* * *

For dinner, everyone was back at the Pokemon Center again, and some of Ash's Pokemon were talking about the Pokemon Wrestling Contest earlier that day. As his team gloated about their victories, the Trainer listened quietly, knowing that each member would have to go their separate ways. It was time to go back to his original mission.

"I think we'll have to go back to Oak's Corral soon," Ash suddenly spoke up.

"Wait, why?" Unfezant asked.

The Trainer explained his dream to the Unovian Pokemon. As he rambled on, the room gradually became silent. Even Charizard and Sceptile had stopped their daily argument to listen to the teen.

"...so I'm taking the Pokemon that I had with me earlier."

" _Oh…"_ Pignite sighed, a little disappointed.

The Trainer glanced in the direction of the Fire-Type. "I'd like to take all of you, but I would get incredibly worried about your safety. Team Rocket is horrible, and if they manage to get ahold of you..." Ash trailed off, and shook his head slowly to clear his thoughts before continuing. "Pokemon from Unova are extremely rare here, and I don't think _any_ poacher or Pokemon gang wouldn't want every one of you. It's hard to fare well against Pokemon like Giovanni's Persian or Hunter J's Drapion when you're in an unfamiliar region, not that y'all know who they are, but—"

" _Ash,"_ Unfezant suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah?"

" _Stop talking, we get it. Just stay safe, and we'll be happy,"_ she assured, then turned around at Scraggy. " _Don't open your mouth when you chew, mister!"_

" _Sorry mother,"_ came the reply.

Unfezant ignored him and turned to Oshawott. " _And stealing Pignite's food isn't very nice, either!"_

Oshawott stuck out his tongue but received a faceful of Vine Whip from Servine.

" _That's right,"_ the Grass Snake Pokemon agreed. " _It's a mean thing to do. You should apologize. Now."_

" _Sorry Pignite,"_ Oshawott droned in a monotonous tone. He didn't look fazed about being chastised by _both_ Unfezant and Servine. Only a growl from the Water-Type's stomach indicated that he was hungry from the lack of food (Krookodile was eating it).

The Grass-Type narrowed her eyes at the half-hearted apology but didn't push further.

Pignite just huffed a little, knowing the Sea Otter Pokemon too well to stay mad at his friend forever, and turned around to stare at Ash until the teen turned around and acknowledged him.

"Yes, you can get more, " his Trainer smiled, amused.

* * *

The next day, just as the sun was rising above the horizon, Ash arrived at the lab with Pidgeot and Pikachu (the Electric-Type absolutely hated most of the bumpy ride in his Trainer's pack) and exchanged tearful goodbyes with his Unovian Team. He also greeted a few of his early-rising Pokemon, (and the ones who were awakened when the Trainer landed,) and tried not to wake up the Professor or his assistant.

" _Ash?"_ Donphan asked as he strolled up to the teen, Bulbasaur at his side.

"Yeah?" the Trainer whispered.

The Armor Pokemon turned to his companion, who sighed.

" _So Snorlax ate your last letter,"_ the Grass-Type explained sheepishly, " _so we...uh...need another one. Professor Oak thought someone stole your Pokemon, and well, you know…"_

"No problem," Ash replied, and took a piece of paper from his bag (hey, gotta be prepared, right?) and scribbled down a quick note, before handing it over to Bulbasaur, who took it with one of his vines.

"Oh, and I'd like to take a Pokemon with me. Is Gible available?"

" _Sure. I'll get you his Pokeball, so now all you have to do is wake him up,"_ Bulbasaur answered with a grin, before walking away.

* * *

Ash didn't actually have to wake the Dragon-Type up. The Trainer just recalled his sleeping form into the Pokeball and continued to visit his early-rising Pokemon. Heracross had awoken when Bulbasaur walked by and said his good mornings while chasing Bulbasaur for some of his sap.

Totodile was splashing in a pool happily, and of course, dancing. Nearby, some of Ash's Flying-Types were racing each other (like the over-competitive bunch they were). When they saw their Trainer walk by, the simultaneously dived down and let gravity guide them towards the teen, greeting Pidgeot as they landed in front of both the Human and his two Pokemon. A few introductions were made, and Ash chuckled as his Flying-Types—Swellow was incredibly competitive—continued to race each other across the corral with Talonflame in the lead.

" _Oak's gonna wake up soon,"_ Pikachu yawned from the boy's shoulder.

"I know," Ash whispered back as he passed a sleeping Noctowl and Noivern, patting them both gently on the back as they walked by.

" _Can we go now and get more sleep?"_ the Electric-Type asked quietly.

"Fine," the Trainer said. " But just saying, you're not going to get sleep anyway."

* * *

Most of Pallet Town (Snorlax was the exception) woke up to the explosion of a sonic boom that morning.

* * *

"It seems like Ash's Unova Pokemon are back," Professor Oak noted as he walked around the corral that morning. "And Snivy evolved, excellent. But I _am_ a bit skeptical about the whole thing."

The Pokemon Professor glanced down at a grumpy-looking Grass-Type who was sulking around.

"Bulbasaur, why do you look so annoyed?"

" _I am trying not to use Solar Beam on Snorlax, thank you very much,"_ the usually calm Pokemon replied, although the Professor understood none of his words.

" _He ate it again, didn't he,"_ Quilava surmised, giggling.

Bulbasaur didn't reply.

* * *

It didn't take long for Ash and Co. to arrive in the mountain area of Johto. Pikachu and Eevee found themselves both dizzy and disoriented as the crew landed on the ground; Pidgeot flew _fast,_ and Ash's messenger bag wasn't the safest mode of travel.

"Training Time!" The Trainer called out to his team. "I want a four-way battle for Sceptile, Charizard, Pidgeot, and Pikachu!"

" _Prepare to burn!"_ The Fire-Type roared.

" _Psh, as if,"_ Sceptile chuckled, preparing a Leaf Blade.

Pidgeot rolled her eyes with a small _hmph_ , and Pikachu just smirked.

As Charizard released a Flamethrower at Sceptile (a very predictable but safe move in Ash's opinion), the Trainer released his Gible, who opened his eyes and yawned at the sound of the fighting. " _Where am— oooh, chewy!"_

The Dragon and Ground-Type's eyes lit up, and immediately latched his teeth onto Ash's head. " _Nom nom nom…"_

" _That was a perfectly good hat!"_ Pidgeot complained over a powerful Gust attack, a bit annoyed. " _Now we have to get extras!"_

"Hello to you too, Gible," Ash greeted, wincing under the dragon's jaws. Eevee giggled at the sight.

Once Ash managed to get the energetic Dragon-Type on the ground, he introduced Eevee and immediately started to train.

"Eevee, try to use speed to dodge all of Gible's Draco Meteors, and Gible, try to aim them. Is that clear?" the Trainer asked.

Both Pokemon nodded, although the Land Shark Pokemon's big head managed to tip over and make the Ground-Type lose his balance.

"And after a while, we'll switch, and Eevee will use Tackle on Gible. I'll be watching you, and might add a little challenge to it. Begin!"

As the training session started, Eevee started running around as her new teammate looked at the sky and began to gather energy, releasing it so that waves of pure energy exploded in midair and rained down on the training grounds. The Normal-Type struggled to dodge the meteors, yelping sometimes when one landed just a few inches away from her position.

Ash sat down on a nearby rock and watched the fighting with his Aura Sight, although only half his mind was on the battle. He laughed a few times when Gible clumsily fell over trying to aim his Draco Meteors, but the Indigo League Champion couldn't help but think about Team Rocket's Team Meowth, who hadn't been anywhere in sight for a long time. The Trainer was little skeptical about their whereabouts. Did they...lose him?

"Good job, Gible, but your Draco Meteor is off by just a few feet. Maybe you could try to aim the meteors a bit better? Arceus, I don't know how to teach you."

" _Gible will learn!"_ the Dragon and Ground-Type cheered energetically.

"Maybe I can get Sceptile to teach him how he aims his Leaf Storm..." the Trainer thought aloud.

" _Gible say okay!"_ the Land Shark Pokemon shouted again.

"Okay, I need to ask Sceptile then."

" _Nom nom nom!"_

* * *

Sceptile frowned a little, not having much experience in teaching. Gible was being excited as always, and the Grass-Type was having some trouble trying to explain.

" _So all Pokemon have a way of controlling the type of attack they use. The reason a Pokemon can focus a Hyper Beam is because they can compress power into their mouth and shoot it off in a way that it won't spread out in a wave, like a Hyper Voice or something. They become two different moves. But if you can compress a move like Hyper Voice, the damage multiplies but has less area of contact. The same thing happens the other way. If you spread out a Hyper Beam-"_

" _Gible no understand,"_ Sceptile's student commented, confused.

" _I said: when a Pokemon…never mind,"_ The Grass-Type sighed. " _Just, relax a little when you use Draco Meteor. Let's see what happens."_

Gible fired off a Draco Meteor, and as the boulders were falling down to the ground, they broke apart into a few more pieces, still hitting the ground just before dissipating.

" _Just like that,"_ Sceptile praised, grinning slightly. " _You should experiment with that, and it's actually pretty useful in battles, especially with opponents that know Double Team, Extreme Speed, or Quick Attack, which leads to…"_ The Grass-Type stopped talking as soon as he realized that Gible wasn't paying attention.

" _Gible wanna be strong,"_ the Land Shark Pokemon decided. " _Gible will be the very best!"_

The Grass-Type smiled at the younger Pokemon. " _That's, uh, a very good goal to pursue. One day you'll be able to beat Charizard with me."_

" _Yes! Gible will beat Charizard!"_

The Forest Pokemon smirked, moving his line of sight to the Fire and Flying-Type getting hopelessly beat up by Pikachu from a few meters away.

" _Sceptile?"_ Gible asked his new teacher.

" _Yes?"_

" _Teach me more. Gible wanna understand."_

* * *

"Hey, Eevee. Wanna work on those forms?" Ash asked politely.

" _Yes, please!"_

" _Okay. Now let's see what you can do. Then we can go from there. Is that fine?"_

The Evolution Pokemon looked around, a little nervous. " _Can we please go somewhere else?"_

" _That's fine with me."_

Internally, Ash was a little worried for the Normal-Type. She was wary of other Pokemon and still wasn't trusting them as teammates. The Trainer didn't really blame her; if he had gone through all that, he wouldn't be as naive as he was today. Whenever Ash met a stranger, he never actually was in an on-guard mindset, even though anyone could be Jessie, James, and Meowth. The Trainer had concluded years ago that if he was always accusing others of being criminals, he wouldn't be able to enjoy traveling as much.

"So I'm thinking that you should at least master Espeon and Umbreon…"

* * *

Misty sat at the window to the Cerulean Gym with a bored expression on her face, especially since there hadn't been many challengers in the city lately. Ash had left without a trace a few months ago, and the Gym Leader was worried for him. Usually, he would go to another region with a couple of friends to support him, but this time, even his mom was clueless about her friend's whereabouts.

Ash had left without a trace a few months ago, and the Gym Leader was worried for him. Usually, the rash (and sometimes arrogant) Trainer would go to another region with a couple of friends to support him, but this time, even his mom was clueless about her friend's whereabouts.

The Water-Type Trainer knew Ash well. If he felt that he would have no trouble doing things, the Pallet Town-native would take it easy. But actually taking Pokemon other than Pikachu, and disappearing off the map?! The Water-Type Trainer was still a little uneasy about the situation.

She hoped he would come back soon.

* * *

"I wonder if we can try to learn some illegal moves," Ash thought aloud as he looked around at his Pokemon. The Trainer was covered in sweat from head to toe from trying to teach Eevee new forms. By then, the Evolution Pokemon had Jolteon, Flareon, Vaporeon, and Leafeon down. She just needed some more motivation for the other evolutions.

And learning moves was a problem. Ash didn't know how many different moves Eevee could handle, and didn't want to push her past her limit. There was also the other problem that Pikachu really needed to learn some Ground-Type moves, and maybe even some Flying-Type ones as well. Charizard might want a Grass-Type move as well.

Maybe his Pokemon could teach each other?

And Ash also needed more creative ways to use his Aura. Aura Spheres and Blades were getting predictive, especially when he was sparring against Pikachu, who had to remind the Trainer that _he_ was the one who taught his Pokemon about the consequences of 'being dumber than your opponent.'

' _What if I could make wings with my Aura? Or shoot out Hyper— I mean— Aura Beams or something? Wait a second. That could be a very good idea.'_

' _Hey, I'm pretty sure some of my Pokemon have used...unique moves before, right?'_

* * *

After dinner, Ash had invited all his Pokemon to sleep under the stars. Gible was the only one in the team who couldn't sleep that night

" _Gible wanna be strong,"_ the Land Shark Pokemon muttered, sighing a little.

He remembered the Sinnoh League. If only he had worked harder, maybe Ash would've actually won, but now, his second chance was here.

The Dragon-Type knew that he wasn't smart. Compared to other Pokemon like Sceptile and Charizard, he had the IQ of a baby. But it was time to show his Trainer what a small dragon like Gible could do, even with his limitations.

* * *

"Tracy! Gible's gone!" Professor Oak shouted from the corral to the lab.

"What?! He was just here yesterday…"

"That Pokemon Thief must've done it!"

* * *

 **AN: Hey! How's life? Please leave a review, correct my grammar, and make my day by expressing your love for Pokemon!**


	11. Chapter 11

Ash Ketchum stared at the Kanto-Johto map laid down on the rocky terrain. The Pokemon Trainer suspected that the Viridian Gym had some information about past whereabouts of Team Rocket. Since Giovanni once ran the building, it would make sense that some of the Pokemon Gang's old records would be kept there. Even though the Gym could've been thoroughly cleaned of any apparent evidence, Ash was sure that he could find something useful.

But first, he had to get past the Gym Leader (whoever he or she was) without any suspicion. It would be extremely awkward to knock on the front door of the building and say: 'Hi, I'm just here to check your Gym for any signs of gang activity."

He _could_ just pretend to be Red again and battle before asking for clues (which honestly seemed like the better option). Either way, there was a rumor circulating around that the Team Rocket Headquarters was somewhere in the Johto Mountain Range. He just had to search for it.

The Trainer spotted his Fire and Flying-Type sitting down at the edge of a nearby cliff, gazing pensively at the shadows of other mountains cast by the morning sunrise.

"What's going on, Charizard?" Ash asked.

The Flame Pokemon didn't look away from the sky.

"C'mon, you can tell me. I'm your Trainer."

The Fire-Type tensed up a little, then sighed.

" _Charla,"_ he whispered. " _I've been gone for so long. She must be worried."_

Ash, not having much experience with love, was speechless for a second, and silence filled the air. Team Rocket was important, but the well-being and happiness of his Pokemon always came first. And Charizard was both a fierce battler and a great friend. The teen cared about him.

"Here," the Trainer suggested. "Why don't I give you a break? We'll be fine, I promise. Go visit Charla, and don't forget to train with the other Charizard. Work on trying to heat up your flame to different levels. A blue fire would be nice. After ten days, meet us here and we can continue finding Team Rocket."

With a grateful expression, the Fire-Type shot a Flamethrower at his beloved Trainer in happiness, gave a goodbye to the rest of the team, and promptly flew off with a roar of excitement.

Ash turned to his other Pokemon. "For the rest of us, it's training for another day before we head to Viridian tomorrow."

* * *

Misty and Brock walked out of the Pokemon Association Conference together.

"You know," the Water-Type Trainer spoke, "it's sad to think that Viridian City's Gym is going to close unless we get a new Gym Leader. I thought Ash might be able to do it, but looks like he's off on another adventure again, huh."

"Yeah. Maybe another one of our friends can do it instead," Brock replied, enjoying the view of the massive skyscrapers and roads teeming with people and cars that symbolized Goldenrod City, where the Pokemon Association Headquarters of Kanto and Johto were positioned.

"Since the Yas and Kaz Gyms closed down, _again,_ they're not getting a third chance, especially after another petty argument divided them. Seriously, they finally get together after so long, and then they just blow the entire city up!" Misty exclaimed, annoyance written on her face.

The former Rock-Type Gym Leader nodded. "And that leaves us with only seven Gyms. They shut down that one around the Route 5-6-7 area, remember? Something about how it wasn't located in an actual city..."

"Exactly! What kind of region has only seven Gyms?! We should have at least nine by now!"

"Forrest said that they have a Gym Leader Test tomorrow. Anyone can join, right?" Brock asked. Because he had relinquished his position in the Pewter Gym, he hadn't attended the conference and was only in Goldenrod to support and help out his brother Forrest, who was still inside the building.

The Water-Type Gym Leader's face suddenly lit up.

"Hey, Brock?"

"Yeah?"

"Since Ash isn't here, why don't we get Gary to become the Gym Leader?" Misty asked.

"That's...actually a pretty good idea."

* * *

Gary was in Fuchsia City when Misty called with the news.

"You want me to do...what?!" he yelled into the phone, unaware of the Water-Type Trainer on the other side of the line whose eardrums were breaking.

The Pokemon Researcher paused for a moment, soaking the information in, before looking down at his Umbreon, who was as confused as the Nurse Joy he was standing near to. Misty explained something else, and the Trainer couldn't help but feel a little excited.

"Sure then, if it means I can do my research there."

Umbreon's Trainer ended the connection and patted the Dark-Type on the head.

"I think we may have a new adventure," Gary announced, smirking slightly.

* * *

Ash's Pokemon crew spent the entire day in pairs of two, trying to teach each other moves, or how to perfect the ones they already know. From afar, the Trainer tried to focus his Aura into a beam in order to smash a nearby boulder.

Pidgeot insisted on teaching everyone Aerial Ace, and Pikachu thought Iron Tail would be easy to learn, even though none of the other Pokemon were Steel-Types. Gible tried to teach everyone Dragon Pulse, which had three forms depending on the way it's fired (Ash had insisted on teaching the 'green orb' version before the 'orange flames' or the 'energy dragon'), and Sceptile tried teaching variations of Leaf Blade depending on the Type of energy inside the blade.

Eevee was just glad to learn some new moves.

* * *

"Gary Oak! Send out your first Pokemon!"

The Researcher looked at his opponent, a Marowak, and smirked. "Go, Dodrio!" He called.

"Dri, dri drio! Do-drio!"

"Maro! Maro-wak!"

Gary remembered back when he was an arrogant little eleven-year-old who drove a convertible filled with his own personal cheerleaders. It made him chuckle aloud as the Ground-Type growled at the Trainer. It had to take a Trainer named Melissa, and her Golem _destroying_ his Nidoking, to knock some sense into him. Since then, things changed. Ash was an Indigo Plateau Champion now. Gary was on the verge of being the youngest Pokemon Professor in the world.

"Bring it on, Marowak! Show him your best!" a young boy in the small crowd of spectators screamed.

"Maro!"

Gary also remembered the time Ash narrowly defeated him with his Charizard.

Speaking of Ash, where _was_ he?

"Dodrio! Drill Peck!"

* * *

Misty and Brock were in the stands, watching Gary's performance. To their right, a young girl with dark skin and extravagant, black hair sat with her Axew, playing with some folds of her loose clothing.

"So _this_ is the Pokemon Gym Leader Test that Clair has been talking about. It's too bad the Viridian City Gym has been down for so long. I heard the Yas and Kaz Gyms were up for the 8th Gym for a while, but I guess they couldn't get along, huh Axew?"

"Ax-ew!"

Iris looked around excitedly at some of the other Gym Leaders around the area. Soon, _she_ wanted to join them as well.

' _But that's only if the Pokemon Association allows me,'_ the Dragon-Type Trainer thought, but shook the predicament from her mind, turning instead to Gary Oak, the young Trainer who was up against the Marowak in front of him.

"He's from Pallet Town, right?" Iris whispered to Axew. "Isn't that Ash's hometown too?"

"Ew. Ax-ew."

* * *

Misty turned around. She thought she heard the word 'Ash,' but after seeing only excited Gary Oak fans, Gym Leaders, and other Trainers she didn't recognize, brushed it off. She didn't recognize anyone nearby.

* * *

"Thank you so much," Gary smiled, shaking hands with a man in an expensive, black suit. "It would be an honor to take the position of Viridian City's Gym Leader. I promise to serve well."

From the stands, Misty relaxed, turning to Brock. "I knew he could do it. Jeez, Pallet Town Trainers know how to be productive…"

* * *

Ash sat on in a small stone, thinking.

" _Ash?"_ Eevee walked up to him.

"It's nothing, Eevee. I just realized that I forgot to call a friend to tell her that I was alive. No worries, though. I'm sure Brock has it covered."

Pikachu chose that time to walk in.

" _Nah, Brock's never got it,"_ the rodent stated the obvious, doubting his Trainer's old traveling companion. " _Plus, you told him to keep it a secret."_

"Whatever…"

* * *

Three Pokemon Coordinators were watching the news at a Pokemon Center nearby.

"That was pretty impressive," May marveled.

"We should go congratulate Gary," Dawn decided.

"You know him?" Drew asked.

It was the Sinnoh-native Coordinator's turn to be confused. "Wait," she said with a look of realization on her face. "You've never met Gary?! He was Ash's rival back in Kanto! I think they've made up to be friends now, though. But Gary Oak is the grandson of Professor Oak of Pallet Town, and makes the cutest poem rhymes! He's also going to be the youngest Pokemon Professor, like _ever_ , soon!"

May thought of Ash's adventures, and decided that this would be a story for another time (although she admitted that he _did_ sound pretty cool). "Wow. Ash doesn't talk about his other travels much, huh."

"Yeah," Dawn agreed. "I had to meet Gary to figure out who he was."

"Really? Wait, if that's the case...have you met Misty?"

"Who?"

* * *

Eevee noticed Pidgeot staring at her from a distance during dinner. She was sitting by Sceptile and listening to the Grass-Type's wise words about the difference between Shakespearean and Old English dialects. The Normal-Type didn't understand half of Sceptile's muttering with the twig in his mouth, but it was obvious that the Forest Pokemon was just complaining about Gallade's apparent accent and how it shouldn't be possible because it wasn't even correct.

The Evolution Pokemon tried to ignore the feeling of keen eyes watching her, but found that she couldn't, and excused herself from the conversation, even at a silent plea from Gible for her to stay.

" _Uh...hi, Pidgeot,"_ Eevee greeted the Flying-Type.

" _Hello, Eevee."_

The Normal-Type took in a deep breath. " _I, uh, saw you from—"_

" _Oh. Sorry, I was just staring off into space,"_ the Bird Pokemon apologized. " _Didn't notice you."_

It was a blatant lie, but Eevee decided to go along with it. " _Ummm, so—"_

" _You know, I've been wondering,"_ Pidgeot suddenly interrupted. " _Ash has never caught an Eevee, despite how popular they are among Trainers."_

" _And?"_

The Flying-Type shrugged. " _He sees something special in you. My Trainer—Ash, that is— thinks that the frailest and most feeble Pokemon are the ones that have the will to become stronger."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Think about it. Pikachu as a species are weak Pokemon. Charizard was abandoned by his Trainer for being weak. Sceptile had lost his home when Ash caught him. Even_ _I_ _,"_ the Flying-Type gestured at herself, " _was just a regular, weak Pidgey that Trainers don't take a second glance at. And I've only heard stories of his Goodra and Greninja."_

" _Really?"_

The Eevee turned around and realized that Pidgeot had swiftly moved over to Sceptile and Gible, who were engaged in a fierce staring contest. How did she get over there so quickly and silently?

She shrugged, and walked over to watch Pikachu's training session.

* * *

Gary and his Pokemon were sweeping the Viridian City Gym's cobweb-ridden floor, trying not to cough at the dust flying everywhere.

"Seriously," the Pokemon Researcher grumbled, "the Gym opens tomorrow, and they expect me to get all this done today?!"

A repetitive knocking was suddenly heard from the front door.

Reluctantly, the teen opened it to find a familiar face waving, followed by a two people he had never seen in his life.

"Hey Gary," Dawn greeted excitedly. "This is May and Drew from Hoenn, and we're here to congratulate you!"

The newly-appointed Gym Leader held out a hand, and Drew shook it, followed by May. "Uh, hi."

"Congrats," May smiled.

Gary looked down at the broom in his hands, and at Umbreon shaking cobwebs from its fur and wheezing.

"Actually," the Researcher gave a sheepish smile, "would you guys like to help me with something?"

* * *

"So you and Ash go back a long way, right?" May questioned.

"Yup. I could probably tell you all the stupid things he did back then, but I think I'll let him keep his dignity," Gary joked. "So, how are you enjoying Kanto? You said you've been here before, right?"

"Yeah, Kanto's a nice place. And I enjoy the traveling too," the Pokemon Coordinator replied.

"Cool. Uh, by the way, do you know where Ash is?"

May shook her head. "No. Haven't really heard from him in a while, actually. Not since the last Indigo Plateau Pokemon League. Did something happen?"

"Well, he took some of his old Pokemon to travel and forgot to tell the rest of us where he was going and hasn't been seen since then. Brock mentioned that he showed up at his Gym, but didn't say anything else. Seriously, there hasn't been a single thing in the news about him. Usually, he would be helping everyone he meets with their little problems, you know?"

May tilted her head, thinking. "That is a problem. But I think that for now, we can just appreciate that Ash isn't dead. He has jumped in front of enough Pokemon attacks for us to know that he should be immune to them all." She smiled at her own joke.

"I guess so," Gary spoke up, chuckling a little. "But you can't help but remember his luck. You know he _has_ died before, right?"

"..."

* * *

The next day, Ash explained the plan to his Pokemon.

"I think I'll use Eevee in case we have to battle the Gym Leader because she isn't registered in any Pokemon League under my name. Pikachu will have to go in the bag though-"

" _Ash?"_

The Trainer turned around to glance at the Pokemon who spoke. "Yes, Eevee?"

There was a shy response. " _I think I'm ready."_

"For what?"

Eevee, looking a little nervous, strolled up to where Ash was sitting. She turned to the rest of the Pokemon and promptly turned into an Umbreon through a flash of blue light.

" _I can turn into my evolutionary forms,"_ the now Moonlight Pokemon walked around, trying to sound confident.

She glanced around, expecting shocked reactions, but most of the Pokemon were either underwhelmed or already expecting it. Gible was a bit surprised but didn't say a word. He was already used to Ash's load of unusual adventures, and a special Eevee wasn't much compared to Team Galactic and their plans. The Dragon-Type had already met a couple of Legendaries that Ash had encountered. Pidgeot, on the other hand, hadn't been with Ash for more than the Lugia and Mewtwo incident, but Gallade had made her realize that her Trainer got into _a lot_ more adventures than he used to back when she traveled with him.

" _Thanks for sharing,"_ the Bird Pokemon cooed, and the newly transformed Umbreon dashed over to her affectionately.

" _I'm not trying to be rude or anything,"_ Sceptile spoke up, " _but what do we call you? If you constantly turn into your evolved forms, we're not going to call you 'Eevee,' and 'Flareon' a second later. Gallade actually preferred one of his forms, and-"_

" _Vivi."_

" _What?"_ the Grass-Type asked after not hearing the earlier response.

" _Call me Vivi. Like Vivian without the 'an,' part"_ the Umbreon spoke as boldly as she could. " _That's what my other Eevee call me."_

Ash nodded at this. He was glad that the newly-named Vivi had decided to share her secret and trust her teammates with it.

" _One more thing,"_ Vivi turned back into an Eevee.

" _What is it?"_ The Trainer asked.

" _Ash, I want to be your Pokemon."_

The teen was a bit stunned but didn't let that affect the wide smile he had on as he held up an empty Pokeball. "Welcome to the team, Vivi."

Ash let the Eevee press the button on the center of the sphere, capturing her.

" _Yes, I finally get that comfy little sack of Ash's,"_ Pikachu murmured to himself.

After releasing his Eevee, the Trainer proceeded to explain his plan.

"So remember, after Ee...I mean Vivi's turn, Gible will have a go. If it's three-on-three, I'll pick Pikachu as last, because size gives an impression, right? And really don't worry about it, just be alert during the battle…"

* * *

"There's a new Gym Leader in town, huh Pikachu," Ash thought aloud to his Starter Pokemon.

The Electric-Type rolled his eyes. " _You know, you have the worst, but best timing out of anyone I've ever met."_

"What are you talking about?"

Pikachu smirked a little. " _The new Gym Leader, that's what."_

"What about the new Gym Leader?"

When his partner went silent, Ash decided that he would just wing it again, like always. Recently, Vivi had been learning more moves, so he wasn't as worried as he should've been.

* * *

There was a longer-than-usual line of Trainers at the Viridian City Gym. Ash decided to give his Pokemon a little pep talk before joining them. He'd grown used to the outfit that Pidgeot had chosen for him back when he had gone against Brock, so naturally, he was wearing the entire outfit, complete with the beanie hat.

"Vivi, I know this is your first Gym, but don't worry. You've trained really hard."

"Gible, keep it up in there. You were great in Sinnoh, and I know you can do it."

"Pikachu, I'm not even going to command you. Just shock that Pokemon silly."

His Pokemon started to become excited, and encouraged each other about the battle coming up until they were interrupted by a vaguely familiar shout of: "Hey!"

Ash turned around to see that boy from Pewter (Raimund, was it?) walking up to him, sunglasses in his hand. He was wearing his old red shirt, and the Indigo League Champion could see that the boy took an interest in him.

"Hey yourself," Ash replied.

Raimund looked the boy up and down. "Are you challenging the Viridian Gym? I'm Raimund, by the way. You look familiar. Have we met?"

"Uh, I'm Red."

"Red, huh?" The boy asked in reply. "Never met you. By the way, the new Gym Leader's hard! It took all six of my Pokemon to beat his Rhydon!"

"Six?"

Raimund's eyes widened. "Yeah! It was a six-on-one battle and a hard one at that! You know, Ash Ketchum beat him once as a rookie Trainer."

"..."

"I know right?! All the famous people know each other. It's not fair!"

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Who's the Gym Leader?"

To that, the boy gasped out loud dramatically. "You don't know?"

"Uh, should I?"

Raimund nodded vigorously as if he was trying to disconnect his head from the rest of his body. "The guy was on the news! Like, on all the channels! Jeez Red, keep up with the times! Just for that, I'm not going to tell you who he is!"

Ash groaned. This was probably what Pikachu was talking about earlier.

* * *

The Trainer before Ash came out of the room with defeated sigh. Her blond hair covered her eyes, and the teen recognized her Kalosian heritage from her blonde hair that seemed a little too familiar.

"Huh, she looks like Serena," he muttered to himself.

"Next Trainer!" a masculine, teenage voice shouted from the battle room.

Ash froze. It sounded just like…

* * *

 **AN: Thank you so much for making it this far. I didn't think people would actually read my work, haha. Please continue to review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"I'm Gary Oak, the Gym Leader of Viridian City," Ash's old rival announced, standing at the other end of the stadium. "And you are...?"

"U-uh," Ash stammered, "I-I'm Red! And I challenge you!"

The newly appointed Gym Leader gave his opponent a suspicious glance before shaking his head and brushing his thoughts aside.

"You remind me of one of my old friends," the other Pallet Town-native remarked. "Heck, you even sound like him. But I'm pretty sure his eyes aren't blue, and he wouldn't go anywhere without his little Pikachu and Pokemon League cap. Oh, and his hair is absolutely horrible."

The Trainer narrowed his eyes, confused. Gary was getting off-topic. Ash doubted that any Gym Leader he knew would go on a tangent like that, even on their first day.

Plus, his hairstyle wasn't _that_ bad…

" _He called me a '_ _little_ _Pikachu,'"_ an annoyed whisper came from the challenger's bag, making the teen chuckle softly in amusement.

"Anyway, let me explain my rules."

Ash nodded.

"First, how many Badges do you have?" Gary asked. "It affects the Pokemon I use, and I prefer not to underestimate anyone."

The Trainer froze. He wasn't prepared for this question and wasn't even sure that it was supposed to be asked. Has any Gym Leader done that before? Maybe one or two...

"Ummm, I...just arrived from—" Ash began to explain, but was cut off by the other teen.

"I see. Well, it'll be a three-on-three battle, with no substitutions for the Gym Leader, me, but I'll give you some slack on that."

The Trainer was confused. What was _that_ supposed to mean?

"I'll send out my Pokemon first as well, to give you an advantage. Umbreon, go!"

Ash recognized the Dark-Type, realizing that he would be a tough opponent for Vivi. Nonetheless, he took a Pokeball from his belt and threw it onto the battlefield.

"Sylveon! I'm counting on you!"

Instantly, Vivi emerged from her ball, feeling at her surroundings with her ribbons. The Gym Leader's eyes widened slightly, and it became clear that he'd never seen the Fairy-Type in person before.

" _A-Red?"_ Vivi asked.

" _Yes?"_ the Trainer replied, using his Aura.

" _I'm ready. Let's go...kick some butt."_

" _Alright. Don't forget to watch Umbreon's moves in order to learn some of your own,"_ Ash reminded the Intertwining Pokemon.

" _I will!"_

"Okay," the referee yelled from a podium in the center of the room, waving two flags. "Begin!"

* * *

"First move goes to you, Red!" Gary announced, feeling confident. His challenger might look like Ash, but he was pretty sure his childhood friend didn't have a Sylveon. Or would ever agree to wear a hat like that. Or would even _think_ about wearing black as a fashion choice. But those gloves seemed a little too familiar...

"Attract!" the challenger shouted.

It worked wonders of Gary's Umbreon. In a few seconds, his Pokemon was completely infatuated with Sylveon, making the Gym Leader ask himself, ' _How did Red know that Umbreon's a guy? He hasn't seen him up close or anything, and no one uses Attract as an initiating move anymore, 'cause it sucks.'_

"Okay!" the Pokemon Researcher shouted. "Now let's _really_ start to battle! Umbreon! Use Double Team!"

Since there was no actual attack towards Sylveon, Gary's Pokemon thought it was just showing off to the Fairy-Type and complied eagerly.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!" the challenger cried out, and immediately, the Gym Leader knew he had underestimated his opponent. A powerful gust of dust and air blew over the entire field, making both the Humans and Pokemon in the room grab onto their caps and loose clothing in an attempt to steady themselves. Only a certain Intertwining Pokemon remained unfazed.

The Pokemon Researcher's previous battle had ended too quickly because Gary had _overestimated_ the young girl with only a badge from Pewter City.

 _Now_ he was going to lose because a newbie Trainer used a move he'd never seen in his life.

"Sylveon, Swift!" the challenger commanded.

"Shadow Ball!"

Being a Gym Leader wasn't going well. Misty had told him that she was shaky when _she_ first started, but Gary thought the girl was just saying that to be nice.

"Umbreon, Screech!" the teen suddenly shouted in response to a carefully-placed Dig, forgetting that his opponent had...how many badges again? Darnit. Gary had gotten ahead of himself again. But why did he call out Screech, of all possible moves? It was saved only for people like Ash.

* * *

Vivi knew what to do. His new Trainer continued to educate the Fairy-Type about Gary's Umbreon throughout the battle, preparing her for the common tactics that the Dark-Type was known to use. Shadow Ball wasn't a problem, but some of Umbreon's other moves...ouch.

"Moonblast!" Ash commanded, and Vivi didn't waste any time, understanding that the Moonlight Pokemon would be hard to defeat, especially after having many more years of experience than Sylveon did.

" _Alright,"_ the teen used his Aura to communicate, " _add in a Fairy Wind! Now Dodge!"_

But the Fairy-Type began to feel a little worried. Ash was getting carried away, and Vivi knew it. Her opponent, an Umbreon, knew that _his_ Trainer was also overdoing it a little as well.

"Toxic!"

Toxic? Oh, that crossed the line.

A wink from her Trainer was all it took for the Intertwining Pokemon to understand.

"Dodge with Quick Attack! Then, Hyper Beam!"

* * *

One part of Gary's brain told him to stop before he blew up his Gym. The other part...was edging him to fight harder.

Of course, the Gym Leader loved a challenge, and couldn't back down.

When he saw that Hyper Beam, the Pokemon Researcher narrowed his eyes.

He did _not_ just...oh, but he _did._

"Umbreon! Hyper Beam it right back!"

* * *

"Double Team, and Moonblast!" Ash shouted.

"Dig and wait for my signal!" Gary yelled, equally loud.

"Use Toxic into that hole!"

"Don't you dare! Psychic that Toxic out back at that Sylveon!"

"What do you mean, 'don't you dare?!' Double Team and Quick Attack at the same time! Add Toxic to the mix!"

Pikachu had slipped out of Ash's bag and was watching the battle from the shadows of the room. Both of the battling Pokemon were tired but still eager to fight, especially Vivi, who couldn't stand the thought of losing her first Gym Battle.

"Echoed Voice! Repeat!"

"Light Screen! Protect! Moonblast!"

"Umbreon! Yaw-"

"Misty Terrain!"

"You suck! Echoed Voice!"

Yes, Pikachu was enjoying the show. Although he _did_ think they were taking it a bit far…

Nah.

* * *

In the lobby, many Trainers were wondering why the battle was taking so long. And why there screaming and explosions from the stadium echoed throughout the Gym. Occasionally, a loud thump could be heard against the door to the battlefield, scaring a few of his challengers.

"I hope Red isn't getting beaten up," Raimund wondered aloud to a nearby dark-skinned, puffy-haired Unovian girl.

* * *

"Hyper Beam!"

"Hyper Beam it back!"

Pikachu was joined by Gary's Arcanine, who had let herself out of her Trainer's Pokeball once she figured that the teen wouldn't even notice her disappearance. The two Pokemon greeted each other cordially and sat in silence before Arcanine brought up the question on her mind.

" _Do you think Gary knows he's battling Ash?"_

Pikachu shook his head, smirking. " _He just knows that his Shadow Ball isn't going to work."_

At this, the Fire-Type sighed. " _Gary Oak, you're an idiot."_

" _Tell me about it, but Ash is the dumbest of them all."_

" _No, Gary's pretty bad. You should've seen him when he was a rookie. Way worse than your Trainer, if you ask me. Reminds me of that time when he went against a Bug-Type Trainer with his Squirtle—"_

" _Oh I don't believe it. He was pretty strong, and actually knew that putting a Pikachu up against a Sandshrew isn't a very good idea."_

" _He tried putting me up against a Kingdra once! I almost fainted before Gary finally realized that he needed to capture that thing!"_

" _In Unova, we literally lost to every beginner Trainer there was. I admit, both of us were a bit busy being lightheaded from the pollution, but he put his Oshawott against a Pansage!"_

" _What's an Oshawott? Or a Pansage?"_

" _Nevermind,"_ Pikachu replied, smirking playfully. " _Just admit that Ash is dumber than Gary."_

" _He called me 'honey' back then. Who calls their Pokemon-"_

" _Just admit it."_

" _You_ _admit it."_

* * *

Ash finally realized that Vivi was getting tired. He quickly returned the fatigued Sylveon and sent out his Ground and Dragon-Type.

"Go, Gible!" he shouted.

"Blastoise!" the Gym Leader called out to his Starter, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to switch out his Pokemon. The referee was about to make a call but decided against it. The guy on the other side of the battlefield probably wasn't looking for a badge in the first place from the way they were battling. Plus, both the challenger and the Gym Leader had broken a few rules already.

"Gible, Dig!"

"Hydro Pump right in that hole!"

Analyzing the situation, Ash came up with another strategy. "Lead that hole straight to Blastoise! He's right in front of you! Now, up!"

"Move, Blastoise! Actually, use Brick Break below! And Hydro Pump! And everything else!"

"Make this hit, Gible! Now Quick Attack! Double Edge! Dragon Rush! Draco Meteor!"

"Now!"

"Now!"

There was a large explosion engulfed in a flash of light.

* * *

" _Do you think they realize that they're using more than four moves each per Pokemon in an_ _official_ _Pokemon League battle?"_ Pikachu asked Arcanine, who shook her head.

" _Not a chance."_

" _Do you think Gary realized that he just switched out his Pokemon?"_

" _Nah."_

" _Do you think the referee knows?"_

" _Judging by his face, yep."_

* * *

Gabite knew he couldn't fail Ash now. He had evolved to get stronger. Now, he will defeat the Blastoise in front of him.

"Good job, Gabite! Congrats on evolving! Now, Iron Tail!" His Trainer commanded him.

"Blastoise, Hydro Cannon!"

Gabite felt a move waiting to be used. Yes, he had learned a new move. And it was time to use it. Oh yes, it was.

"What is it?" Ash yelled as Gabite just stood there.

" _EARTHQUAKE!"_ the newly-evolved Pokemon shouted.

* * *

"Blastoise, do a-"

" _EARTHQUAKE!"_

"Use your cannons to-"

" _EARTHQUAKE!"_

The Water-Type couldn't hear any instructions over the rumbling on the ground. Both Trainers quickly changed their stances to brave through the powerful attack.

" _EARTHQUAKE!"_

Blastoise promptly fainted.

* * *

"Gabite, take a break," Ash called out to his Pokemon.

"Umbreon!"

"Come on out, Sylveon!"

As Vivi came back out in her Fairy-Type form, she looked back at Ash, whose demeanor had changed from friendly but bold to determined and analytical during the battle. The Trainer's hair was brushed aside, and his entire body was sweating profusely. But despite this, the teen seemed completely sure of himself and ready to fight. He was way different than when he was only training.

And Vivi understood her new Trainer's reasonings. How her power was a gift and how she was special in her own way.

Battling was _awesome_.

"Hyper-" the Gym Leader commanded but was cut off by shouting.

"Quick Attack! Giga Impact!"

Another explosion commenced.

* * *

"This is what I get for researching instead of training," Gary muttered to himself, squeezing the red and white capsule tightly. "Arcanine, Fire…Spin!"

He realized that his Pokeball was empty as soon as he threw it.

"Wow, this is an embarrassment," the Gym Leader chuckled, scratching his head.

"Uh, Gary?" Red asked. "Is that your Arcanine over there, having a conversation with my Pikachu?"

"Uh, yes."

"Gary?"

"Yeah?"

"Your Gym's totally destroyed. Sorry about that, by the way. You have a long line of Trainers waiting."

Gary froze a little, remembering his status as a Gym Leader, then groaned in slight despair. He would deal with it later.

"Anyway," the Pokemon Researcher spoke, "you needed an Earth Badge, right? We'll have to shorten the next battle then."

"Nah, I have one already," the Trainer nonchalantly shrugged, surprising the Gym Leader. "Actually, I only battled you because I wanted to look around the Gym later. There's something I want to check."

"Oh. Then after these challengers leave, I'll be right with you. Do you want to wait in the lobby, Red? Or meet up another time?"

"Actually, call me…"

The challenger took off his hat, and changed his eye color back to its normal color.

* * *

"Ash Ketchum, you are dead," Gary said.

"Tell me something I _don't_ know."

"You've gone missing for months, and no one knows where you are. You haven't been on the news in forever, and no one even knew what region you were in!"

"Yeah. Wait, did Brock not tell anyone?"

"Tell anyone about what? He only told me that you appeared at his Gym. Nothing about 'Red.'"

"Huh, that's strange. I didn't actually expect him to keep the secret."

"Now, as punishment for beating me, you have to let me come with you," Ash's childhood friend decided, recalling his Arcanine.

"Wait, what?"

"Having a salary is stressful—especially since I can get fired now—and my dissertation isn't going so well. I think I need some adventure to loosen me up, and might wanna put up a sign that says that I won't challenge anyone without seven badges. It would lessen the number of challengers, too. What do you think?"

Ash was a little hesitant but soon realized that he his opinion didn't matter to his childhood friend anyway. "Sure, I guess," he replied.

"I could get Grandpa to run the Gym for me sometimes, too."

"Tracey, maybe? Brock?" Ash offered.

"Sure. Oh, and one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Since you're 'Red,' I should be 'Blue.'"

 _ **End of EOTR, Part 1**_

* * *

 **AN: For those who think that I've forgotten about you (haha), I didn't! Instead, I wrote a short story called "Next Time, A New Beginning?" that describes Ash's transition into Alola. So if you want to, check it out. If not, it's okay too.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey~! Ready for Part 2? It's here, although...sorry for the short chapter. It's only because I have something big next week.**

* * *

Ash and Gary were searching around the basement of the Viridian City Gym. It was after working hours, so both Trainers had let out their Pokemon to run loose around the Gym. Only Pikachu and Umbreon followed their Trainer, and the latter had been using Flash to light up an old, unused room that his Trainer had somehow forgotten about.

"So how _did_ you get a Sylveon?" the Gym Leader was asking.

"I stole her from a Team Rocket Lab. It's a long story."

"You...okay. I give up."

"...Yeah."

"By the way, it was _you_ who stole your Unova Pokemon from Grandpa's Corral, right?" the Researcher questioned, knowing the answer. "I mean, you have your Gible—which is a Gabite now—so it's pretty obvious."

"Of course, but I left a note, though."

"You didn't."

"Yes I...oh. Snorlax probably ate it again. And as for—"

"Let's just look for some Rocket stuff."

Ash shrugged.

* * *

The hidden room seemed almost too clique to the Gym Leader. He didn't understand how a large door could go unnoticed for at least a few years, especially after the Pokemon Association had police officers search the Gym thoroughly—more times than necessary, in Gary's opinion. Dust covered every inch of the small space, and only a stack of books and a cluttered desk made the area significant to the Pokemon Researcher. Ash had immediately rushed to the nearest map, leaving an opportunity for the teen to walk around and attempt to understand the situation.

"So Charizard returned to the Charicific Valley, and no one bothered to give us a heads-up. Okay then," the Gym Leader muttered aloud. As much as he would never publicly admit it, the Pallet Town Trainer always worried for his friend who had near-death experiences on a weekly basis.

"Did you say something?" Ash asked, wheezing as he brushed some dust away from a piece of paper with a gloved hand.

"No, it's nothing. By the way, how did you get these clothes? Did someone force you into them?"

"Uh, sorta. Pidgeot happened, actually. Turns out she has an affinity for shopping," the Indigo Plateau Champion explained as he traced a circle around a blank spot on the map he was holding. "It's another long story."

"Alright, tell me later."

There was silence for a few seconds before Gary noticed a red spiral journal sitting under a stack of books. His eyes widened as he pried the notebook free from the pile, causing the thud of dictionaries, novels, and textbooks hitting the wooden floor. The front cover was also hard to open, especially after years of coffee-soaked pages sitting on the ground. As Gary finally tugged it open, a piece of loose paper fluttered to the ground.

"Ash! Found something," he called out.

"Hmmm?"

The map was crudely drawn, and almost illegible handwriting coated the sides of the paper. Arrows linked words to dots on the page which seemed to represent locations and landmarks.

"I think these are the Team Rocket hideouts in Kanto," Gary explained as his old rival walked over. "See? There's Mount Moon," he pointed at a triangle drawn on the paper, "and here's Oh, there's one in Lavender Town. You know, where the Pokemon Tower is?"

Ash hesitated, trying to remember his experiences in that town, and nodded.

"People bury their dead Pokemon there," the Pokemon Researcher explained. "There's a bunch of crazy superstition that makes the residents there seem creepy at times. But the map says that there's a small Team Rocket base at the top of the tower. I think it says, 'Item Storage.'"

Ash reached over and grabbed the map from his friend.

"Let's go there," the Gym Leader suggested. "Maybe we'll find something."

The other teen looked up, realizing that his old rival had been talking.

"Uh, can you repeat that?"

At Gary's incredulous look, he raised up both hands in surrender. "I...was _totally_ listening, don't get me wrong here…"

* * *

" _Ash, Gabite stole my food…"_ Pikachu complained obnoxiously.

" _Hmmm?"_ The Cave Pokemon asked, unsure of what his teammate meant. The Dragon-Type might have a big appetite, but he never stole food. At least, not anymore. He had changed, deeming himself as a good-moral Pokemon that would use his power for the benefit of others.

Ash turned to face his Starter. "Pikachu, Gabite isn't going to steal your food. It's not even lunch yet," he reasoned. "Just be patient, alright?"

" _Patience is a virtue that I do not possess."_

" _You make no sense,"_ Sceptile piped up, lounging at the desk next to a pair of bunk beds. His nose was immersed into a large book, and Ash couldn't help but notice the twig in his mouth that move up and down in a simple rhythm as he turned the pages.

It was a stormy morning, and as much as the Trainer wanted to go train, he didn't like the idea of dealing with the possibility of catching a cold. And whenever the teen got sick— even though he recovered in minutes (seconds, even)—it always was more severe than it was supposed to be. Seriously, only _Ash_ had trouble breathing with something as common as a fever.

The team was in a Pokemon Center room, either dozing off or just plain being bored. They could've been in the Johto Mountain Range at the time, but the Trainer didn't want to take the risk of running into a base in the middle of the nowhere, especially with Charizard absent.

"Why don't we have a mental battle?" Ash suggested. "We can come up with as many outcomes as possible for deflecting moves."

Pidgeot yawned as she woke up, stretching her wings and hitting an annoyed Pikachu in the face.

"And we can work on things that are less intense, like Vivi's transformations. That Sylveon yesterday was great, by the way," the Trainer praised the Espeon who was on a bed, playing around with a pen using Psychic. "It was the longest I've ever seen you hold up a form."

" _How do Vivi's moves work through her transformations in the first place?"_ Sceptile wondered aloud.

"From what I've seen, I'm pretty sure that their strength varies depending on the form. For example, it's easier to use Moonblast as a Sylveon than as a Flareon or Glaceon. By the way, remind me to teach you guys some Ice-Type moves when the sun comes out."

" _I'm just hungry,"_ Pikachu mumbled.

Ash ignored his Starter, and instead addressed the rest of the team. "Alright, let's do some mock battles. Pikachu and Gabite, Sceptile and Eevee. Pidgeot, you're with me."

The Pokemon (reluctantly) got up from their respective relaxed positions and began to face their partners. Pidgeot grumbled as she threw off the blanket that covered her and walked to where her Trainer was sitting.

" _Gust,"_ she started.

"I would make a barrier."

" _Brick Break, then."_

"As you come up, I would have an Aura Sphere ready."

" _WI'll Peck through that Aura Sphere and use Aerial Ace."_

"Aura Barri-"

" _And a Brick Break."_

"Do you _have_ to use Brick Break?" Ash asked, exasperated.

" _It works."_

"I mean, all you gu-"

" _Sexism."_

"All y'all," Ash continued, "do is Brick Break every barrier that comes up. Seriously, the last time I tried sparring with Pikachu, that was the only move he used!"

" _Well,_ _I_ _use it because it helps me win."_

"But it's too predictable. Remind me to teach you Mirror Move sometime, 'kay? It's more useful. Now, let's see...I would use my Aura Beam then-"

" _Aura Beam? That's a new one. Hyper Beam, then."_

"Fine. We would have a standoff and the attacks would explode in the middle. Then the smoke clears, and I would use-"

" _But I would win."_

"What? No, you wouldn't. You're acting like Pikachu today. Has the rain gotten to you?"

" _No."_

"I'm not convinced."

* * *

It turned out that Pidgeot _was_ a little annoyed at the fact that the rain canceled much of anything they could do. The Bird Pokemon wanted to take Gary shopping, so that's what she decided to do the following day, even with the Gym Leader's protests. Ash waved goodbye to the twosome (Gary was furiously complaining about how he left his Pokemon back at the Gym) and turned around to the rest of his team.

"I bet you know what we're doing," he announced.

Training Time.

* * *

"I admit, you have a somewhat good taste in clothes, unlike Ash. Let's see here...what do we have to work with?" Pidgeot chirped happily at a mall in Goldenrod, pushing the Trainer along. Several people pointed, recognizing the Gym Leader, but Gary didn't notice. He was too busy trying to survive the shopping trip.

" _Seriously, what was it with the UGGs back in Johto?"_ the Bird Pokemon pondered aloud. " _And that oversized shirt? Thank goodness you changed...oh, and can you buy another cloak for Ash? They look stylish."_

"What?" The Gym Leader asked, not understanding the Flying-Type. He often wondered why his friend's Pokemon talked so much, and usually thought it was because of the Trainer's personality. But nowadays, his old rival seemed to have an obscure air of melancholy surrounding him. It wasn't like back in the old days when he was always cheerful and arrogant—okay, less arrogant than Gary was, but still.

The Pokemon Researcher realized that Pidgeot was rambling again.

" _Hold that jacket up! Yes, the black one with the pockets! Oh, that_ _does_ _look nice! But it doesn't go with those terrible purple pants. That pendant you're wearing_ _does_ _seem to fit, though. Wait, we can get a pair of nice khakis to go along with—"_

"I'm sorry, Pidgeot...it's not like I can understand you," Gary apologized, interrupting the Pokemon.

" _Oh, I forgot you weren't Ash. Well then."_

* * *

"One question," Ash glanced at the outfit. "What's with the…"

" _It's called a fanny pack. And it matches,"_ Pidgeot chirped.

"Nevermind."

Gary looked down, tugging at the jacket that didn't even reach his pants. "Oh yeah. Your Pidgeot made me buy this second cloak. I think it's for you."

"Well then."

"Now you owe me the money," the Gym Leader joked, smirking. "It was expensive."

"But you actually have a salary!" Ash complained. "How do you expect me to pay you if I get only get money by beating up other people's Pokemon?!"

"Ha! You make it sound like you're broke. Have you been losing your battles lately?"

* * *

 **AN: In case you were wondering, I _did_ write that short story about Ash's transition between Kalos and Alola. But 'bewear' of spoilers that you may or may not catch.**

 **Aha~haha~ha...I'm not funny, am I...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Alola, guys! (Please don't kill me...please don't kill me...)**

* * *

Ash and Gary traveled to Lavender Town the following day, using Pidgeot and Fearow respectively to Fly the Trainers to the cluster of houses and small buildings in the distance that marked the demarcation between the town and the surrounding forest.

" _Ash,"_ Pidgeot suddenly spoke.

" _Hm?"_

" _The wind is picking up. We should land."_

" _Alright."_

The atmosphere seemed to change as soon as Ash's feet touched the dirt trail. He hadn't noticed it before, but the woods surrounding the famous ghost-sighting city were dead silent besides the crunch of his feet on dead leaves that littered the unclean path. Even the sound of his breath became too loud for the eerie path. The temperature dropped suddenly, leaving the Trainer cold and forcing him to wrap his new cloak around himself.

"Red."

"Yes?" Ash whispered back, his voice low.

"Cut the BS. Talk to me silently."

"Wh-wha—"

"I've done my research. Just explain later."

There was a moment of silence between the two as Ash tried to figure out how his friend had reached that conclusion.

"..."

The Gym Leader chuckled. "Don't worry. I got your back."

Ash found the courage to speak. " _Uh...thanks, Gary."_

"It's Blue," the other Trainer corrected him, and it was quiet once more.

Everything around them was...strange. Erratic wind patterns had forced the Trainers to land, yet it was completely still as they set foot on the paved road. The houses seemed to reflect the perfect amount of sunlight so that they seemed to glow in a mysterious aura of violet in the setting sun. Years ago, hotels and stores outlined the route to the famous Pokemon Tower, but over the years, skyscrapers had begun to rise, even if their height reached nowhere near the large edifice that towered as the centerpiece of the city.

" _Let's ask someone for directions,"_ Ash suggested. " _I don't think I've been to the Pokemon Center here before."_

* * *

"Hello?" Gary asked, knocking on the door repetitively.

" _Gosh, these people are mean,"_ Ash commented. " _Isn't it courteous to keep your door unlocked in Kanto?"_

The Gym Leader turned to stare at him.

" _I mean...uh, I haven't lived here in a long time, so, uh, I don't remember anything?"_

"Why would anyone ever lock their door?" Gary whispered. "It's inconvenient."

" _That's a good question."_

The Pokemon Researcher knocked a little louder.

" _Maybe no one's home."_

"Yeah right. I think we'll have to find the Pokemon Center ourselves."

"Hey! You two!" someone shouted. "Are you lost?"

The teens turned around to face the source of the voice: a smiling, old man wearing a cap and a gray jacket who had been casually strolling down the sidewalk.

"U-uh," Gary stuttered, "can you tell us where we can find the Pokemon Center?"

"Hmmm. You wouldn't want to go there, haha. No one will give you a room, especially if you're dressed like _that_."

"Oh, true," the Gym Leader replied, chuckling.

"The townsfolk living here are superstitious," the man explained. "Even if you weren't wearing those cloaks, they wouldn't let you in."

"I see."

"Where are my manners? I'm Mr. Fuji," the man introduced himself.

"Blue. And this is Red."

"Anyway, would you guys want to come over to my home? I'll prepare some tea."

"Uh, sure."

* * *

They ended up visiting the Daycare, where they found volunteers playing with little Pokemon. A kid who was looking after a Cubone greeted them and explained the origin of the building and how Mr. Fuji devoted the rest of his life to making sure that the Pokemon found permanent homes. In addition, the teens went to the nearby graveyard and watched people from all over Kanto pay their respects to the deceased, carefully making sure that they didn't distract anyone.

"If you look hard enough," Gary had whispered, "you can find your dead ancestors."

Ash also appreciated Mr. Fuji's kindness (as well as his self-proclaimed role of 'tour guide' to the two teens), and although Gary Oak was known all throughout the region for being the newest (and toughest) Gym Leader, it was a little strange to the Pokemon Trainer that the man didn't seem to recognize the Pokemon Researcher at all.

Finally, Mr. Fuji directed the two to the Pokemon Tower, which cast a shadow over half the town with its imposing height.

"Hasn't changed a bit since the last time I've been here," Gary muttered to his partner.

" _Really? It looks bigger."_

"Nope. I think it's been here for at least thirty years by now. Are you sure we're talking about the same thing?" the Pokemon Researcher asked.

" _Nope, but I think I died there. Right Pikachu?"_

The electric mouse nodded, yawning widely. He'd just been awoken from his nap in his Trainer's bag.

"Wait...I thought you were kidding about the—"

" _No, really. I got pulled out of my body..."_

"Shut up."

" _Why would I make it up?"_

" _He's telling the truth,"_ Pikachu muttered from Ash's messenger bag.

A little girl suddenly stepped in front of the two Trainers and began to stare innocently in their eyes, unblinking. "Do you believe in ghosts?" she asked, grabbing Gary's arm and squeezing tightly.

"Uh...no," he replied.

The girl giggled. "I guess not. That white hand on your shoulder...it's not real."

The Gym Leader's eyes widened but saw nothing as he looked side to side.

"Uh..."

He looked to his friend for help, who smirked slightly.

" _You look like an idiot doing that, you know."_

* * *

Ash and Gary stood in front of Lavender Town's Pokemon Tower, taking in both the height and strange magnificence of the building. Mist surrounded the area, preventing the Trainers from seeing anything else but the paved road beneath them and the outline of the tower that seemed to reach the heavens.

"This is a resting place for Pokemon," the Pokemon Researcher spoke up. "Let's be respectful."

" _Alright."_

As they walked in, the receptionist eyed them warily, as if the cloaked figures had come to steal a body or something.

"So...we climb?" Gary asked.

" _Yeah."_

* * *

The second floor was vastly different from the first. Graves of Pokemon formed a maze between two stairwells: the one leading down and the one leading up. Coffins lined the walls and blocked paths, making the room difficult to navigate.

"Have you heard of LTS?" Ash asked aloud as he made sure that there were no other people in close proximity.

"No," Gary answered.

"Oh. Well, you know how every town has its own unique music?"

Gary nodded.

"There's a theory that the Lavender Town song made kids experience headaches. Apparently, it was because prolonged exposure to the high-pitched music induced suicidal tho—"

"Red," the other Trainer interrupted. "Listen."

" **Blood...give me...blood…"**

"Blue."

Gary didn't respond.

"Blue!"

"Hm?"

"The last time I came here, all I saw was a Ghastly, Haunter, and Gengar. There weren't any graves at all."

"What?"

"There was a dining hall and a playroom with a TV..." Ash continued.

"Red," Gary spoke. "There has never been a dining hall—or a playroom for that matter—in this tower since...the beginning of time."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

" **Blood...I need blood…"**

Another voice joined.

" **I shall suck your soul…"**

Ash looked around, shivering slightly. "Maybe I can find that Haunter that I met when I last came here."

"I thought we established that we were talking about two different things."

"...Eh. I'm pretty sure he's at Sabrina's Gym anyway."

" **Brains…"**

Gary held onto his cloak loosely, wary of the fog that seemingly started to surround them. "Okay. That's a bit cliche, even for a ghost."

"How do you know it's not a zombie? _They_ like brains."

"I—uh..." Gary's voice faltered as he stepped onto the creaky stairs leading to the next floor. "Do you have a Normal-type around that can fit without breaking anything? I don't."

"Yeah. My Eevee." (And Pidgeot, but she was a little too big for the stairs…)

"Can we have it ready for battle?"

"Sure."

The Gym Leader nodded, then paused. "Wait, you have an Eevee? I thought you had a—"

"That's another long story. Just...yeah."

* * *

"That's such creepy music in the background," Gary noted as the two boys continued climbing the stairs to the next floor. There were many people on the first floor, but as the Trainers climbed higher, no one else was to be seen.

"I told you. It's LTS: Lavender Town Syndrome. The music gives you headaches and makes you want to hurt yourself. Then you commit suicide. Oh, and the suicide rates are higher in this town than the rest of Kanto. Creepy, huh?"

Gary gave Ash a weird look and motioned him to pause. There were people on the next floor, and the voices grew louder.

" **Peek-a-boo, I see you…"**

" **Aroo, apachaba blarghisha…"**

" **I...need blood."**

"Here, I'll send out my Eevee."

With a little flash of light, Vivi materialized in her Normal-Type form.

" _Ash?"_ she asked _. "Where are…"_

The Evolution Pokemon nodded when she saw her Trainer put his index finger to his mouth, signaling for silence.

" _We're in Lavender Town's Pokemon Tower. Pokemon who died are buried here, and Team Rocket is stationed up here somewhere as well,"_ Ash used Aura to communicate silently. " _There are also rumors of ghosts in this area as well, so be careful."_

Vivi nodded again, signaling that she understood.

" **Intruders,"** came another voice, closer this time. " **Unclean spirits...must die."**

"Friendly welcome," Gary commented.

And they charged up the stairs.

* * *

They were immediately attacked by Ghost-Type Pokemon. A Ghastly, two Haunter, and a Gengar tried to pounce on them, but Vivi held all of them back with Foresight and a powerful Hyper Beam.

Gary smiled at the sight and sent out his Umbreon. "Ah, I remember that Hyper Beam…"

"Blue, look over there, to your right," Ash pointed to a woman whose eyes were wide open, and her mouth was drooling, like she was...possessed.

"She's a Channeler," the Gym Leader realized. "They're crazy people that hang out in these areas and spout nonsense. I'll go try to get her out of our way. Take care of the Pokemon."

The teen and his Umbreon promptly ran to the stairs, leaving Ash and his Eevee to be surrounded by the wild Pokemon.

"Alright, Vivi. Dark Pulse."

" _Okay!"_

" **You...shall...join...us,"** another ghostly voice sounded from Ash's left. (The Channelers were the ones talking, to no one's surprise).

"Keep it up. You're doing fine," the Trainer assured his Pokemon. "I'll take care of the Channeler. Don't worry about me."

As Ash turned to face the woman, he felt the high-pitched melody of Lavender Town again. He shivered involuntarily and tapped his messenger bag three times. Immediately, his Starter sprung out, ready to fight.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt until she returns to her senses."

" _Got it. Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt. Done."_

The woman visibly relaxed despite being in contact with a powerful move a few seconds earlier. When she saw Ash in his cloak, she smiled and spoke.

"Child, it is a great deed that you are destined to do. Go accomplish great things."

She then promptly collapsed onto the ground dramatically, fainting.

Ash recalled Pikachu to his sack—who fell back asleep instantly—and motioned for Vivi to follow him. The Ghost-Types had been driven away, and Gary appeared from the shadows, content with how his battle went.

"There's another Channeler ahead," the Gym Leader whispered. "I'll quickly take care of her, then we can move on. Meet me at the stairs.

"Okay."

Ash walked onward—even with the strange music making him a bit disoriented (Vivi didn't seem to be affected)—until he got to the stairs, where a strange voice suddenly made him freeze. It was different from the cries of the Channelers. More...creepy.

" _ **Get out…get out…"**_

Vivi froze, and so did the Trainer. Ghost-Types weren't ever a problem for any of Ash's team, but literal ghosts—especially unfriendly ones—were another story.

Mist began to swirl around in front of Ash and Vivi, and the bones of a Psyduck began to rise out of its grave, leaving both Trainer and Pokemon motionless. The Trainer tried to take a step but knocked into an invisible wall that prevented him from advancing further. A ringing in his ears began as the music started to crescendo, making the teen's head hurt worse.

Then, silence.

Gary appeared beside him. The song had died, and the Psyduck bones had disappeared. The fog and barrier were also gone.

"What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost."

* * *

"Blue, there was an actual ghost, and if you don't believe me, we're probably screwed."

"Alright. We're screwed."

Ash sighed shakily. "Let's move. Who knows? Maybe I'm hallucinating. Right, Vivi?" he asked his Normal-Type, reaching down to scratch her fur.

" _If you say so!"_

"Her name's Vivi, huh?"

"And?" Ash questioned skeptically.

"You don't usually name your Pokemon."

" **Kwaaah! Kwaaah! Kekekeke...kwaaah!"**

"Let's put this conversation off for now," Gary suggested.

"Agreed."

They sprung up the last few steps of the stairs and came into contact with more Channelers and Ghost-Types.

"Here, I'll take care of the Pokemon, and you and Umbreon can go up ahead this time," Ash suggested, urging Gary to move on without him (and encounter the ghost).

"Sure."

* * *

Ash was pretty sure that the strangled scream came from his friend.

Either way, he'd find out later.

* * *

"Red…"

"Yeah?" the Indigo Plateau Champion asked, smirking slightly.

The Pokemon Researcher's voice shook a little. "You suck."

* * *

Sander had six gym badges. He wanted to go to Cinnabar Island but didn't have a good Pokemon team against Fire-Types. Viridian City wasn't far away, so he and his Breloom decided that it would be better waste little time and challenge the Gym there.

When he arrived at the old building, his rival Chayla was glaring at the sign hanging on the front door.

"Must have seven badges," she read, crossing her arms angrily. "I have my seven badges, and yet the Gym Leader is gone! I'm going to tell my father about this!"

She stormed off, and Sander started to plan the nearest route to Cinnabar Island. And he would catch a Water-Type on the way, too.

* * *

"I have purified this area," a Channeler smiled sweetly at the two Trainers. She didn't sound very ghostly, so they stepped inside the magic square and felt instantly refreshed.

" _I feel better,"_ Eevee declared. Umbreon agreed.

The Gym Leader scratched his head, wincing at his growing headache. "Red, that music is still creeping me out."

"Just don't think about it. Plus, there are only two more floors before we get to the top." Ash didn't admit it, but exposure to the music was painful.

"Let's run up the next set of stairs, okay?" the Pokemon Researcher suggested, pulling his cloak tighter to his body.

"Deal."

* * *

" _ **Get out! Get out!"**_

"Okay," Gary said, recalling his Umbreon. "Let's both admit it, here and now. We're scared to death."

"Heh, you just admitted it," the other Trainer joked, putting on a facade of confidence. At his friend's look, he grasped his cloak. "Okay, okay. I'm freaked out too."

* * *

" _ **Be gone, intruders. Be gone!"**_

This time, the Trainers could see a figure of two angry, glowing eyes in purple mist. When Ash tried to step forward, he felt a small chill down his spine. His hands grazed the nonexistent wall in front of him that blocked the path to the next flight of stairs. Vivi and Umbreon couldn't get past either, and no attack would work.

The Trainers looked at each other with the same expression.

"Let's regain our forces, and come back," Ash suggested.

"You're calling for a tactical retreat? More like, an escape," his partner joked.

"Just go."

"Not complaining."

* * *

 **AN: Hello again. Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to stay awesome!**


	15. Chapter 15

**I told you guys not to forget Infernape and gang, remember? Haha.**

 **Where are they? That's a good question.**

* * *

Swellow beat his wings up and down in a strained attempt to keep himself in the sky. The air was getting thinner, and it became harder to breathe as he ascended higher.

" _I think...we're almost...there,"_ he announced, panting heavily.

" _You said that...like...ten minutes ago,"_ Daro the Tauros huffed, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to keep the constant sleet from stinging them.

" _Just...let me keep my dignity...please."_

" _..."_

" _Thank you."_

Hawlucha glided over his Normal and Flying-Type teammate. " _There's still another peak."_

" _Darnit!"_ the Hoenn regional bird exclaimed, which made Noivern crack a smile. Out of all the Pokemon trudging through the harsh terrain, the Dragon and Flying-Type suffered the most, as he had a 4x weakness to Ice.

" _What do you think, boss?"_ Swellow shouted to the team's leader, Infernape, who walked at the rear of the group with Torterra and seemed to be staring at the sky.

" _It's getting dark,"_ the Fire and Fighting-Type observed. " _We should dig a hole to spend the night in."_

" _I know Bulldoze,"_ Daro volunteered, stamping a hoof into the deep snow.

" _Hawlucha,"_ Infernape called out to his teammate. " _Scout ahead for any threats. Swellow, with me."_

" _At your service!"_ the Kalosian Flying-Type announced as he turned himself around and posed flagrantly, landing on a tuff of snow in front of the Flame Pokemon. " _Would you like me to return with food?"_

" _Uh, y-yes please,"_ Infernape stuttered as a cold front blew through the area, surprising the Pokemon surrounding him. " _Actually, bring Noivern with you."_

" _Let's play cards when we get back!"_ the Sound Wave Pokemon suggested enthusiastically.

" _You_ _always_ _want to play cards,"_ Torterra remarked, chuckling.

" _That's because he beats you all,"_ Hawlucha replied, boasting like a proud father. " _Every time."_

As the scouting team left, Torterra turned to his Fire and Fighting-Type teammate. " _Has it been a week yet? We haven't seen Trainers for awhile."_

" _It's been more than a week, at least," _Infernape replied. _"Heh, it's also starting to become steeper, so we'll need to use the climbing gear soon."_

" _You know,"_ Daro spoke up as he cleared the area, " _Ash actually made a smart choice in choosing you guys. Although he picked three Flying-Types, Hawlucha is also a Fighting-Type, Noivern can see through the blizzards, and Swellow is pretty much his fastest flier. Torterra, you know Rock Climb and can provide a rest for Swellow because he has the worst stamina out of all of us. And Infernape, you're his best Fire-Type."_

The Flame Pokemon beamed at the statement. It was rare that he was considered to be better than everyone's favorite Fire-Type, Charizard.

Torterra smiled. " _It's hard to think that Ash actually thought of our strengths before choosing. You'd think that it would be random."_

" _Yeah,"_ Infernape agreed, " _especially with_ _Ash_ _as our Trainer. We usually don't give him enough credit."_

" _He doesn't deserve it most of the time,"_ Swellow spoke up as he swooped down to land on Torterra's back. " _But he's pretty cool, anyway. You don't usually meet a Trainer who doesn't focus on competitions as much. Usually, something's wrong when your Pikachu cares more about winning the League than you do."_

" _True,"_ Torterra added. " _Pikachu was complaining to me about how Greninja didn't hold his part in the Kalos Finals. Then he proceeded to tell me that their opponent cheated."_

" _Really?"_ Infernape asked.

Daro narrowed his eyes as he continued to Bulldoze the area into a small cave. " _That seems so unlike Pikachu."_

The Grass-Type nodded. " _Apparently it was something about a super-effective Thunderbolt diminishing a Charizard by at least half HP and how he was absolutely sure that they would win."_

Swellow shrugged. " _Don't blame him. How strong is this 'Greninja' guy anyway?"_

" _I know he's Ash's strongest Water-Type,"_ Torterra answered.

" _That's not much of an accomplishment and you know it."_

The group was suddenly reminded of a certain annoying Unovian Starter that seemed to crave attention back at Oak's Laboratory. It seemed like Buizel was the only sane Water-Type that Ash had, and even _he_ was a bit strange at times. With a shared look of understanding, everyone attempted in various ways to hold back bouts of laughter.

Infernape dragged in a few branches to the campsite. " _We can ask Hawlucha when he gets back."_

" _Ask me what?"_ the Wrestling Pokemon inquired. Noivern appeared behind his friend, panting heavily.

" _Sorry for taking so long,"_ the Sound Wave Pokemon apologized. " _There's a cave system beneath the mountain, but it's full of powerful Pokemon. We went to check it out."_

Hawlucha crossed his arms, showing off his bulging muscles. " _What did you want to ask me?"_

" _How strong was Greninja?"_ Swellow asked.

The Pokemon in question chuckled as he was suddenly reminded of all the memories he had in Kalos.

" _Sit down, boys. Infernape, light the fire. We're in for a long night of storytelling."_

* * *

The sun had already set, and the temperature reminded Ash of a chilly October afternoon. The two Trainers had decided to stay in Lavender for the night and were lucky enough to find a shabby hotel that lacked in business. The woman at the front desk was nice enough to let them stay, even though it took some convincing, as Ash had been careful to make sure they weren't recognized.

" _Heh, they ran,"_ Pikachu whispered to Vivi.

"You didn't even see it," Ash replied, exasperated. "You were in my bag, sleeping."

" _I was tired."_

" _After shocking like ten Ghost-Types?"_ Sceptile asked, smirking from the corner of his mouth. " _Someone's losing their touch, huh."_

Pikachu couldn't respond to that.

Vivi bounded over to join the Forest Pokemon, turning into a Leafeon on the way as she giggled at the expense of her Electric-Type friend.

"We need a Silph Scope to see the ghost's movements," Gary decided as he looked through more maps of Kanto. "And that's found in Silph Co., located in Saffron."

The Gym Leader looked over at the Leafeon, surprised, but decided not to say anything.

"Great," Ash replied from lying on the bottom bunk of one of the beds.

"The problem is, it's overrun by Team Rocket, _and_ closed on holidays."

"Today's a holiday?"

"Tomorrow, actually. They're not supposed to work for some Pokemon League Maintenence thing I think," came the reply. "But the Gyms are supposed to be still open somehow…darnit, Arceus!"

* * *

"Alright," Gary suddenly spoke in a foreboding tone. "Everyone, out. Ash and I are having discussion time."

" _Sucks to be you!"_ Pikachu teased as he bounced out of the room, snickering.

" _That's mean,"_ Gabite remarked, walking behind the energetic Electric-Type.

The Pokemon Trainer in question groaned as he realized that 'discussion time' was more like 'explain-or-I'm-going-to-kill-you-somehow-time' in his friend's eyes.

So he wasn't too surprised at the other Pallet Town native's sudden change in demeanor as the last of their Pokemon exited the room. The Researcher even locked the door for good measure.

"So," Ash said.

"So," Gary said, taking a seat on the bed opposite of his friend's.

"Hi."

"Hello to you, too."

"This is awkward."

"The feeling's mutual. Now explain. Everything." The Gym Leader crossed his arms. "Or would you like to know how I reached the conclusion, first?"

"...The latter," Ash replied, making an attempt to move away from his friend.

"Our Gym battle made me suspicious," Gary explained. "You would tell Sylveon to use Dig or something, but she would add in a Fairy Wind without your command. It was weird. And now that I think about it, you don't usually wear colored contacts...especially blue ones."

The other Trainer gave a sheepish smile.

"Your Eevee was also a bit strange. Vivi, right?" the Gym Leader asked.

"Yeah."

"You named her."

"And?"

"I mentioned it before: you don't usually name your Pokemon. And even with that, you wouldn't come up with a name like 'Vivi.' But at the time, I thought she was given to you or something, so it was enough to keep me fooled."

"But Pidgeot practically confirmed my suspicions," the Researcher continued. "You mentioned her love for shopping, yet Pokemon of her size usually didn't go shopping. Trainers don't have a way to know for sure that their Pokemon 'have an affinity," he lifted his hands in air quotes, "for anything. And when your Pidgeot took me shopping, she talked nonstop. Some of the shoppers were even staring at us. And when I told her that I couldn't understand, her reply was along the lines of 'oh, well then,' and she immediately stopped talking so much."

"And?"

"So I was thinking and realized that you were too dumb to be a psychic. Yeah, that's it."

Ash coughed to cover up his attempt at voicing how offended he was. With a watered-down version of the righteous glare that scolded legends, he sighed and continued with a more professional tone. "Sorry, it's an old habit of mine. Explanations longer than three sentences—"

"Yeah, I know. You tune them out," Gary interrupted. "Anyway, it wasn't that important. Now explain, Ash Ketchum, or—"

"Alright, alright." The Trainer raised the palms of his hands in surrender. "So, have you heard of the term 'Aura?'"

* * *

" _T_ _here was this thing he could do,"_ Hawlucha fantasized. _"And I know we all have our strong bonds with Ash, but Greninja's was...different. And even though Pikachu probably has the strongest bond out of all of us, Greninja…manifested his bond physically. It was always cool whenever he and Ash entered a battle, you know…"_

 _"Just get to the point already!"_ Swellow exclaimed.

* * *

"By the way, do you think I can register as a new Trainer, and compete in the Pokemon League again?" Ash suddenly asked as the two Trainer relaxed in the room, watching their Pokemon were having a conversation over a game of cards in a corner.

"Why?"

"Scaring the wits out of people because of my deathly quiet demeanor and the way I conduct my battle without talking. Then my smirk when they lose. The media is so boring these days."

Gary sighed almost dramatically. "Ash, only you. "

"It has been done before..."

* * *

"Okay, plan time."

Ash and Gary were having a conference in their hotel room. Well, sort of. Most of the Pokemon were off doing their own business, leaving the Trainers, Sceptile, and Umbreon to decide things.

"We need to find a way to do everything at once," Gary decided.

"Why?"

The Researcher crossed his arms. "It's faster. Plus, we need to get things done by next year. I also have Gym Leader stuff and you have...Ash stuff."

"I find that insulting."

"Okay, we'll have group missions," the Gym Leader decided, ignoring his friend's remarks. "It'll also test the Pokemon's abilities to work together without us Trainers giving commands."

"I see. A viable battle strategy."

"Arceus, that's all you think about."

"So who's going where?" Ash asked, changing the subject.

"We both have six Pokemon, so we can put them together in teams. It'll make our lives a bit easier, don't you think?"

"Sure," the other Trainer replied. "Let's see...Pikachu and Umbreon can't get along with each other—"

"Who says they can't?" Gary asked.

"Good point. Pidgeot and Fearow…"

"Now we're getting somewhere."

* * *

" _I'm not working with him,"_ Pikachu muttered.

"It would be a great experience! Okay, I'll convince Gary to let you two battle afterward. _Then_ you can beat him up. Good?" Ash asked, exasperated.

" _...Okay. Fine."_

* * *

"Pikachu and Electivire go into Silph Co. from the bottom floor," Ash announced, listing off the groups. "Umbreon and Vivi will go to the Lavender Gym to make sure Sabrina is in her right mind, Pidgeot and Fearow are in charge of getting me and Gary—"

"Gary and I."

"I'm pretty sure it's 'me and Gary.' Anyway. Pidgeot, Fearow, you gu—ahem—y'all," the Trainer corrected himself before his Flying-Type could complain, "will get us back to Gary's Gym. We also have a Team Rocket sighting for y'all to investigate. Sceptile and Blastoise will raid Silph Co. from the top floor, and no, Pidgeot and Fearow will _not_ be dropping you guys off."

Gary continued for his friend. "Arcanine, Scizor, and Gabite will stay at Lavender Tower. You guys—"

" _Sexism!"_

Ash chuckled. "Pidgeot doesn't like the misuse of gender-specific pronouns."

"Such a grammar nazi," the Gym Leader muttered. "Anyway, _y'all_ are in charge of getting to the top of the tower. Team Silph Co.—y'all are Team Lavender Tower, by the way—will hand over the Silph Scope to you."

"Any questions?" Ash asked.

" _Just one,"_ Arcanine barked. " _Are we stealing a Silph Scope?"_

"...We're putting it back afterward, so that does not count as stealing. Everyone clear?"

There was a mixture of miscellaneous cheers before everyone departed in their different directions.

* * *

After the Trainers were dropped off at the Viridian City Gym, a stack of paperwork and a truckload of Gym challengers greeted them. A long line from the double doors of the dusty building to the end of the road made the Gym Leader a bit overwhelmed. Even with his large number of Pokemon, it would be hard to keep focused during his matches.

In the lab room, Ash settled on his friend's couch and began to read through reports and utility bills. Pikachu had abandoned him for the excitement of watching Gym battles, which added to the boredom of organizing papers, replying to letters, and reading emails.

Pidgeot and Fearow were showing off their flying skills to each other outside the Gym, and as the Pokemon Researcher was unlocking the doors to the building, he caught the lovestruck expression that his Fearow was giving Ash's Pidgeot. If a Pokemon could blush, Fearow would be as red as a Tamato berry. Actually, he was pretty sure Pokemon _did_ blush. There was a research paper about that somewhere in his library...)

"You two!" the Gym Leader called out to the two Flying-Types. "Shoo! Go away!"

And they were off.

* * *

Gary stood outside his Gym, sweeping up some dust that hadn't been touched since the beginning of time. His seventh challenger that day had just been defeated (Rhydon sensed that his Trainer wanted the match to be over quickly), and the Gym Leader had begun to wonder why the Viridian City Gym would be so popular at that time of the year before realization hit him. Most Trainers stopped traveling during the winter to spend time at home for the holidays. It would only be a month until the cold front came in, so people wanted to get their Gym badged quickly.

The Researcher was being thankful for a 'paperwork-doer' (namely, Ash Ketchum) when he heard a loud voice from the distance.

"I'm here to challenge the Viridian Gym!" A dark-skinned girl with huge, puffy hair called out.

Gary dropped his broom, surprised. If statistics were correct, he wouldn't have another challenger for another hour.

Meh. Stats were pretty unreliable anyway.

"I'm Gary," he introduced himself. "Welcome to the Viridian Gym. Who are you?"

The girl smirked instantly. "I'm Iris, from the Village of Dragons in Unova!"

The Trainer from Pallet Town nodded politely. "In that case, as the Gym Leader of Viridian City, I accept your challenge."

* * *

Ash read the letter aloud to the sleeping Dodrio that was lounging against a wall.

 _Dear Mr. Oak,_

 _Please understand that we do not want to remove you from the Gym Leader position. But if you keep on battling full-out and beating all of the challengers as if they were Ash Ketchum, no one will be able to compete in the next Pokemon League Conference. We hope you consider our suggestion to judge Trainers by their skill level and catch some low-leveled Pokemon._

 _Thank you,_

 _Pokemon Association Chairman of Kanto_

So Ash wrote back, bored out of his mind and honestly not weighing the consequences as much as he should have (Gary would hate him for it later, but for now, it was none of his concern).

 _Dear Pokemon Association,_

 _I think my just influences trainers to work harder. My Gym isn't for noobs. ;) A cool guy named Red beat me, though._

 _Gary Oak_

 _Viridian City Gym Leader_

* * *

"Axew, Draco Meteor!"

"Aw, darnit."

* * *

"Here is the Earth Badge," Gary congratulated the challenger, bowing his head slightly. "You deserve it." The Gym Leader admitted that his lack of knowledge of half of the Pokemon Iris had given him a huge disadvantage.

"Thanks! Now I can finally get into the Kanto Pokemon League, and maybe even beat Ash at his full power!" Iris exclaimed, mostly to herself.

Gary nodded, then seemed to realize something. "You sound like you actually know our last Indigo Plateau Champion," he remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"We used to travel through Unova together."

"Oh, that was you?" Gary inquired.

But the question was never answered. His Alakazam appeared, using Psychic to lift a stack of envelopes. He nodded at the Trainer in respect and walked across the battlefield, ignoring the holes in the ground and dents in the surrounding battlefield.

"Hey Gary!" a tired voice called out from the room behind the Gym Leader. "Your stuff is done. Is this all?"

"Nope," the Gym Leader answered, nonchalant.

"Slave driver," was muttered loud enough for Gary to hear.

The Dragon-Type Trainer was surprised. Was that...Ash?! The Trainer had been missing for awhile, but no one seemed to be looking for him, especially that girl she met in Cerulean, who laughed it off and told the Unova-native that Ash always returned.

"By the way," the familiar voice called out again, "I answered some of your letters for you. You might want to read them over before they're sent to the Pokemon Association or something."

"Nah, it's okay. Oh, and sort out the utility bills, please!"

Grumbling proceeded shortly afterward.

* * *

" _This does not count as one for you,"_ Pikachu protested as another Team Rocket Grunt promptly fainted.

" _I clearly punched him harder than you zapped,"_ a smirking Electivire replied as the duo continued to sprint down the vast hallways of Silph Co.

The Electric Mouse sighed, exasperated. " _No, you didn't,"_

" _Electric moves don't even work against Ground-Types."_

" _Mine do."_

" _Gary never taught me."_

" _That's_ _your_ _problem then."_ It was Pikachu's turn to smirk as he beat Electivire to the Team Rocket Grunt trying to hide behind the corner of Floor 4.

" _You suck."_

" _Thanks."_

* * *

The Lavender Tower loomed overhead, and cliche lightning flashed above the group. None of the Pokemon were particularly afraid. Instead, bored looks could be seen from them as incoming visitors came to the tower to mourn the dead.

" _So...we just stay here until they steal the Silph Scope?"_ Gabite asked.

" _Yes,"_ Scizor replied bluntly. Nearby, Arcanine yawned.

" _Ok. But...isn't stealing wrong?"_

" _They said they'd return it,"_ the Pincer Pokemon replied. " _Although I do see where you're coming from."_

The Dragon and Ground-Type was starting to believe that the only reason Ash and Gary weren't here was because they were deathly afraid of the 'ghost' (honestly, Gabite didn't see the big deal, ghosts were fun).

* * *

 **AN: Whew. Another week, another chapter.**

 **Alright. Goodbye, and I'll see you guys (y'all) next week!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi.**

* * *

" _I remember when Greninja was still a Frogadier,"_ Hawlucha reminisced. " _We'd just entered Anistar City, and there was this giant sundial that stood in the middle of the city—"_

" _You're not getting to the point,"_ Swellow interrupted, feeling impatient.

" _He's getting there,"_ Noivern defended his teammate.

Above the small group of Pokemon sitting around a campfire, the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind the horizon of mountains in the distance.

* * *

"I found Ash! I found Ash!" Iris practically screamed to Cilan over the video.

"Okay, okay! No need to be loud." Cilan winced as the explosion of sound almost (in his opinion) rendered him deaf. "Where is he?"

"At a Gym! Gary Oak's Gym!"

"Who's Gary Oak?" Cilan asked, confused.

"A Gym Leader in Kanto! Ash was doing paperwork for him!"

"Wait, I'm pretty sure I've heard of the name. Wasn't he in the news a few days ago or something?" the Pokemon Connoisseur thought aloud. "But wasn't Gary Oak one of Ash rivals? I thought they hated each other, like water and oil when you try to cook my—"

Iris promptly interrupted her old traveling companion, knowing that he would be on an indefinite monolog until stopped. "Wait, they _hate_ each other? How do you know? Did Dawn tell us something about that? I don't remember."

The Pokemon Connoisseur nodded his head slowly, his forehead furrowed as if he was considering the consequences of his actions. "Were you _absolutely_ sure you saw him?"

"Well, I didn't _actually_ —"

"I guess we can't be too sure after all, but we _can_ count that as a possible sighting of him," the Gym Leader interrupted hastily, shrugging sheepishly.

"Then that's that," Iris sighed. "It seemed so much like him, though. My memory _could_ be wrong, but..."

Her voice faltered as she considered her friend on the other side of the video call. For some reason, the Striaton Gym Leader seemed to be in a hurry. Cilan wasn't the type of person to interrupt her, either. Usually, it would be the other way around. The Dragon-Type Trainer narrowed her eyes, scanning her friend's face for any signs of stress or anxiety.

"Cilan, are you okay?" she asked. "You seem a bit...off."

* * *

" _So."_

Blastoise smiled awkwardly as he and Sceptile walked down the stairs. The elevator had broken after the two regional Starter Pokemon took a ride to the 11th floor, which turned out to be a waste of time because they didn't find anything special. In their defense, Human machines weren't made for large Pokemon. It totally had nothing to do with weight.

" _So…"_

Sceptile looked back up the flight of stairs to make sure that no Rockets were following them.

" _This is awkward,"_ the Water-Type spoke up sheepishly as he glanced around, scanning the hallways for any signs depicting the way to the main office.

The Forest Pokemon shrugged, grinning deviously as he motioned to his teammate. " _Why don't you tell me old stories of you and Charizard? It'd be a great way to pass the time."_

" _Oh,"_ Blastoise replied, realizing the ulterior motives of the other Pokemon. Immediately, the two Pokemon clicked like friends. " _Of course_ _I'll give you your desired blackmail material. Hmmm, let's see...I remember when we were just a weak Squirtle and Charmander. The thing is, whenever Gary met Ash back then…"_

* * *

" _Look at this mess,"_ Pidgeot scoffed. " _When will thieves learn to be civilized?"_

" _Yeah,"_ Fearow agreed. Muddy footprints were scattered everywhere, furniture had been toppled over, and a man was in tears over the mess in his house. A male police officer was unsuccessfully trying to comfort him.

" _I guess we find the Rocket with his missing HM,"_ Fearow concluded, and Pidgeot nodded in agreement with an annoyed sigh.

* * *

The Gym Leader was actually pretty impressed at the productivity of his childhood friend. At least 50% of the paperwork had been either sorted out or stacked in a neat pile that had been labeled with a pink sticky note that read, 'Finished Stuff.' Gary spotted Ash at the desk table, but it seemed as if his old rival was taking a short break.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh, just warm-up and training plans," the other Pallet Town Trainer replied.

"I didn't know you planned these things. Are half of these strategies even used?"

"..."

The Gym Leader walked away with a slight shake of his head.

* * *

Gary was in deep thought as he waited at the front steps of his Gym for another challenger. Ash had told him that Brock knew he was alive, but the former Pewter City Gym Leader hadn't contacted any of Ash's friends about it.

It was...weird. And something that he'd looked over.

Another problem bounced into his head. It was hard to believe that he'd inherited (sort of) the Gym of Team Rocket's leader. A _young teen_ was supposed to take up the mantle as one of the most powerful Gym Leaders in the world. Kanto's Gyms were supposed to be insanely powerful compared to those from other regions, and the Viridian City Gym was supposed to be the most difficult of all of the Kanto Gyms.

He looked up to see another Trainer come along.

"I really need to make it harder to battle me. There's no way I can keep battling new Trainers without going insane," the Gym Leader decided aloud, glancing down at the approaching young girl with bright, orange pigtails and a toothy grin.

"I'm here to challenge the Viridian City Gym!"

But Gary enjoyed the Gym Leader life nonetheless, even if it sometimes got in the way of his research.

* * *

" _Finally!"_ Pikachu exclaimed as he saw Sceptile and Blastoise around the corner.

" _Shhh!"_ The Water-Type responded, and gestured to a wall. " _The Silph Scope is in there. Giovanni and the Silph Co. President are...having a discussion."_

Electivire walked over and put a hand on the smooth, vertical surface that separates the Pokemon from Team Rocket's leader. " _Let's bust through, take it, and get out."_

" _I know Focus Punch,"_ Pikachu volunteered.

Sceptile nodded. " _Go ahead."_

* * *

Ash continued to stare at the map of Team Rocket bases as he proceeded to mark a giant 'X' over the lab in Mahogany, the Lavender Town lair and Silph Co with a large, red marker. Cerulean City was next—he was sure that Pidgeot and Fearow would be able to find the base that was under construction—and plans for a base in Cinnabar were circled. His marker grazed the Viridian Gym before he realized that he should cross it out as well.

"There's supposed to be something in the Kanto-Johto Mountain range," he explained to Gary, who was lying on the nearby couch. "I was there for a few days but saw nothing. Any ideas?"

"Nope."

The Trainer turned around and narrowed his eyes at the Gym Leader. "You're looking awfully stressed out, and I'm the one doing all your paperwork. What's up?"

Gary groaned. "I got a message from the Pokemon League Association congratulating me on my 'willingness to make Kanto Gyms a challenge,'" he lifted his hands in air quotes. "And they want me to remodel the Gym! How am I supposed to do that?!"

"Don't ask me..."

* * *

" _Your name is Vivi, right?"_ Umbreon asked as they headed for the Saffron Gym.

" _Yep,"_ the Eevee nodded.

" _Weren't you that Sylveon that fought me during the Gym battle?"_

" _Yep."_

" _...How?"_

The Normal-Type smiled sweetly and bounced along as she was led down the road to the Gym ahead. " _My Trainer calls it...'magic.'"_

" _Your Trainer_ _is_ _magic."_

* * *

" _Giovanni! We have come to—"_

Sceptile interrupted with a sigh. " _He's not Ash, you know."_

Pikachu realized his mistake and began to grumble about the stupidity of the Human race for the lack of attempt to even _try_ to learn the 'universal language.'

The Leader of Team Rocket and the Silph Co. President looked up from an intense staring contest (to be honest, Giovanni was winning), each with a surprised look on their face.

" _Arceus ******,"_ Electivire swore.

And they charged.

* * *

The Viridian Forest was filled with Pidgey that day. It seemed as if the local flock was staying for the night. Mewtwo, Mewtwo, and Gallade were helping young forest Pokemon to reach some berries that grew on high trees.

" _Thank you, Mewtwo,"_ a Raticate mother spoke up, bowing her head in thanks. " _You've been good to us."_

" _No, no,"_ the Psychic-Type replied, chuckling. " _Call me X. 'Mewtwo' is too formal."_

" _X. That's a strange name,"_ Gallade remarked.

" _It's my favorite Unown type,"_ he revealed with a sheepish smile _. "And Y over there..."_ he flicked his tail at the female Mewtwo in the distance, " _yeah, she likes the 'Y' Unown."_

" _So you two decided to name yourselves after letters?"_

" _You don't have to be specific when calling us now."_

" _Good point."_

The two Pokemon watched as the Pidgey cluster around Y the Mewtwo dispersed in various directions, flying upward with a squawk and the flap of beating wings.

Y floated to join the other two Psychic-Types. " _They wanted me to continue my story,"_ she explained, beaming with pleasure.

As she finished her sentence, another group of young Pidgeys dragged her off again, eager to hear some more. Gallade turned to the remaining Mewtwo, catching the glazed expression that his friend seemed to have.

" _Are you sure you want to go back?"_ X suddenly asked.

" _I...I'm sure,"_ the Psychic and Fighting-Type replied with a slight smile. " _It'll be a duty of mine to save others from the fate I've endured."_

A moment of silence ensued between the two.

" _I can't deny your wish,"_ the Legendary Pokemon finally replied, winking. " _Go, and help our fellow friends."_

* * *

"Sceptile, get the scope!" Pikachu yelled as he used Iron Tail on Persian. The attack missed, but the impact left a large dent in the tiled floor that would surely be there for years to come...unless replaced, of course.

"Look out!" Blastoise called out, using Hydro Pump to stop Giovanni's Rhydon from reaching Electivire. Water sprayed all over a messy desk, scattering papers and ruining computers.

"Does anyone know an accuracy-effecting move?" Sceptile asked as he dodged an attempt at Fury Swipes. "It'd be useful!"

Incoherent grunting ensued as Golem stomped on the ground in an Earthquake. The walls of the building shook as the Pokemon held on to the nearest stable object to avoid being thrown off.

The Grass-Type used Leaf Blade to block an incoming Brick Break from an angry-looking Nidoking. "Are you telling me that no one here knows Sand Attack?" he asked.

"I can improvise it," Pikachu spoke up.

"Not helping."

"Get me some sand!" the Electric-Type called out as he spun in the air, speeding up an Electro Ball attack. "I'll use Secret Power until it lowers accuracy!"

"Pikachu...this is not—"

Blastoise, who was fed up with the chaos, promptly used Mud-Slap on all of the surrounding enemies.

"Or we could do that too…"

* * *

While both the people and the Pokemon of the room were distracted, Sceptile promptly grabbed the prototype Silph Scope from a cabinet behind the desk. As he crept past the Humans, he had to resist the urge to tie up the leader of Team Rocket for the police. Although Giovanni was a bad man, there were going to be grave consequences if Sceptile had decided to turn him in then. Kanto's Elite Four wasn't ready to deal with a sudden rise in unemployment rates and orphan Pokemon.

With a sigh, the Grass-Type motioned to the rest of his team, hoping that everyone was ready to leave.

" _Let's go,"_ he called out. " _We have work to do."_

And they left.

* * *

Umbreon and Vivi had snuck into the Saffron Gym and were moving through the hallways, trying to navigate the maze of hallways and corridors that stretched in all directions. To pass the time, the Dark-Type was explaining some concepts behind the evolution of Eevee to his excited student.

" _Actually, some Eeveelutions can only be achieved with a certain type of stone, while others are based on the level of happiness and location,"_ Umbreon explained. " _And the time of day also influences the form. Espeon can be achieved during the daytime."_

" _Oh. Well, I was able to do Sylveon after I told my team about my specialty,"_ Vivi revealed. " _And I was able to do Flareon, Jolteon, and Leafeon after watching Charizard, Pikachu, and Sceptile battle."_

" _I see."_

" _And I only need Glaceon now. I know this must be weird, especially with...you know, but do you have any tips?"_

The Dark-Type pondered a bit before responding. " _Usually, after a Pokemon is good with Water-Type moves, they have less problem with Ice-Type ones. How good are you at Vaporeon?"_

The Normal-Type shrugged. " _Well, I could do it after I went swimming with Ash, but I've never actually known a Water-Type other than this overexcited Oshawott."_

" _Maybe you could tell your Trainer to take you swimming somewhere cold."_

Vivi promptly turned into an Espeon in a soft flash of light, reflecting her happiness. " _That's a great idea! Thanks, Umbreon!"_

* * *

The sun was setting over Viridian City, casting long shadows in the dark room. Ash had turned on the lamp to Gary's desk in an attempt to shed the darkness from the room but was highly disappointed when he realized that the light source was at least ten years old and wasn't very good at working. It wasn't until Ash discovered the light switch at the front of the room that he was able to continue sorting important-looking papers from shopping ads.

The Gym Leader had returned with more paperwork and had begged his childhood rival to do it for him. And because Ash was such a good friend, he reluctantly started (after a complain-fest, of course), putting aside his notebook for training plans and strategy building.

" _It's nice to see you again, Ash,"_ a familiar accented voice came from the corner of the room. As Gallade walked out into the light, the Trainer nodded, acknowledging the Pokemon.

"Hey, Gallade. Did Mewtwo drop you off?"

" _Of course. Where is everyone?"_

The teen shrugged. "They're all off on different missions and should be back soon. How about this: I'll start training you tomorrow, and when everyone comes back, we can start our next big mission. Is that good?"

" _It is okay with me. Thank you again, Ash."_

* * *

" _Finally! You couldn't wait any longer, could you?"_ Arcanine grumbled, rolling her eyes before stretching her face in a yawn. Scizor was plain bored (he was always like that in Arcanine's opinion), and Gabite was rubbing the corners of his eyes with his claws as a sign of sleepiness.

" _Sorry,"_ Blastoise replied, holding the Silph Scope. " _What time is it?"_

" _It's 12 in the morning, idiot!"_

The Water-Type scratched his head, turning to Ash's Pokemon. " _She's getting cranky again,"_ he muttered in warning.

" _We should go with you,"_ Sceptile suddenly spoke up. " _The job would get done approximately two-point-five times faster, which I calculate-"_

" _Okay, fine. Just stop talking."_ Arcanine interrupted.

* * *

"I think the Gym should have a maze, or...maybe those transporting tiles that every Trainer hates," Ash suggested. "I've seen them on TV. They're pretty terrible."

"How am I supposed to get in?" Gary asked.

"Just memorize where you're supposed to go."

"...You're kidding me," the Gym Leader replied, trying not to show his exasperation.

"Or make a secret entryway that only you want to know about. It makes it so that your opponent has to deal with a disadvantage. But you also have to deal with Flying Pokemon, so I guess you could either make the ceiling too low for a large Pokemon or add walls that are smaller than the wingspan of a large Flying-Type."

Gary paused. Then thought. And finally realized that they were getting somewhere.

"That's actually pretty good for an idea," he commented, nodding.

" _You should make the challenge where the Trainer can't use his Pokemon,"_ Gallade piped up, less formal than usual, but still showing traces of a Kalos accent. Ash promptly translated.

The Pokemon Researcher grabbed a tablet from a nearby desk filled with completed paperwork and began drawing a design.

"Ash, call the supplies store. The materials should be in by next week if they're still open."

* * *

" _You should capture me,"_ Gallade suggested.

"Are you sure?" the Trainer asked as he glanced up at the clock. It was 2 in the morning, and Ash still had gotten no sleep as a result of managing Gary's many Gym problems.

" _I am sure."_

"Okay."

The young teen yawned as he picked up an empty Pokeball from his messenger bag and held it up for the Psychic and Fighting-Type. Gallade pressed the button, and was sucked in.

One shake. Two shakes. Three shakes.

The sudden stillness from the Pokeball meant a successful capture.

A few seconds later, Gallade popped out by himself, bowing slightly and smirking.

" _Thank you, sir."_

Ash fell out of his chair, dropping fifty pages of work.

"What did you just call me?!"

* * *

" _Not-a-Team-Rocket-base, under construction,"_ Pidgeot read.

Fearow cocked his head, squinting at the words. " _Let's Hurricane this thing."_

The Bird Pokemon giggled. " _Can we at least raid it first?"_

The other Flying-Type considered his teammate's question, then decided it could be useful. The Beak Pokemon took a deep breath and dove into the scaffolding.

* * *

" _Sabrina, we have come to ask you—"_ Umbreon started, but was interrupted.

" _I don't think she's here,"_ Vivi replied as she twirled around in Espeon form.

The Moonlight Pokemon nodded, understanding, and the two Eeveelutions looked up at the Gym Leader's side of the battlefield. Suddenly, an old man walked into the room, and upon seeing the two Pokemon, walked up and knelt with a worried look.

" _Is your Trainer looking for Sabrina?"_ he asked. " _I'm her referee, but she's been gone for a week. Maybe you could come back again in a few days or so?"_

" _We will, thank you, mister,"_ Vivi used her Telepathy to communicate.

* * *

As the twosome walked out of the Gym, they realized that it was two in the morning and that sleep was needed in order to get to Viridian from Saffron without fainting.

" _Wait a second. Why can't the psychics in the Gym tell us where Sabrina is?"_ Umbreon asked as they walked to the Pokemon Center.

" _I don't think that they're good enough at it,"_ Vivi replied, yawning. " _They're Humans, you know. Maybe the most they can do is teleport or use Psychic."_

" _True. We'd have to find a Xatu, 'cause they know everything, but you can never really get anything important out of them."_

* * *

" _Sorry for disturbing you Marowak, but we really need to get up the stairs. Team Rocket is up there, and we want to stop them,"_ Gabite explained.

Scizor, Blastoise, Electivire and Sceptile were downstairs, fighting some Rocket Pokemon that had decided to ambush them.

The ghost sighed. " _I stay here to prevent passing Trainers and Pokemon from my fate. Team Rocket killed me, and my poor boy is grieving."_

" _We can handle it,"_ Arcanine insisted. " _I'm a Pokemon of the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto."_

" _Giovanni?"_

" _No. Gary Oak."_

The Marowak paused, then started to smile. " _Gary Oak, huh? Last name of 'Oak…"_ the ghost trailed off. " _He's automatically a good person in my books."_

" _Oh, I don't know about that,"_ Pikachu spoke up. " _Oh yeah. I'm the main Pokemon of last year's Indigo Plateau Conference, and Gabite is my teammate."_

A large thud suddenly echoed through the room.

" _Our friends are downstairs, fighting Team Rocket's Pokemon,"_ Gabite added.

Marowak smiled, pleased with the strength of the Pokemon before her. " _Alright. I'll let you pass, but beware the threat upstairs."_

" _Besides Team Rocket?"_ Arcanine asked.

" _Ooh, I know this one,"_ Pikachu muttered to himself. " _Wait, he's_ _real_ _?!"_

The Bone Keeper Pokemon nodded grimly. " _Have you heard of Buried Alive?"_

* * *

"I've heard of Buried Alive. What's so special about him?" Ash yawned as Arcanine (who knew apparently knew Teleport) tried to explain the reason why he should head to Lavender Tower.

" _He's in the Tower and the Marowak ghost was just trying to protect us from him,"_ Pikachu explained, feeling a little disoriented from Teleporting.

"That's nice. What do you want me to do?"

" _Come with us and defeat him so we can destroy the Rocket base,"_ the Fire-Type responded, rolling her eyes. Seriously, were _all_ Trainers as uncooperative as Gary?

"..."

" _Ash Ketchum, wake up!"_ The teen's Starter Pokemon demanded, using Thundershock to emphasize his point.

"Owww. What did you want me to do again?"

* * *

" _ **I challenge you, Red."**_

"That's great," the Trainer replied with another yawn. "Who is this?"

" _ **If your Pokemon are all unable to battle, I shall devour your soul, and your body will be mine."**_

"That's great. Can we battle now?" Ash asked impatiently.

" _ **I think you misunderstand. I am the Buried Alive that has haunted the dreams of little children ever since I've died."**_

"Uh huh. So...why are you called 'Buried Alive' if you're dead?"

" _Red, I think you're aggravating him,"_ Pikachu remarked.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

" _Accept his challenge and use us to attack him, then beat him and not get your soul eaten."_

"Okay."

" _I don't think you're fully awake,"_ Blastoise cocked his head as he shivered at the pure horror of rotting bones and flesh sticking out of the pile of dirt. " _If you were, you'd be terrified."_

"Yeah, you're right. Blame Blue."

* * *

A veil of mist appeared, separating into ghostly figures that Ash recognized from the childhood bedtime stories his mom would tell him in order to scare him from going out at night: the White Hands. At first, they seemed like mindless blobs of mist and fog, but the teen could see five appendages that looked like four fingers and a thumb slowly unfurl from a palm.

Now fully awake (and terrified), Ash commanded the Pokemon to attack. Pikachu responded first with a Thunder, but the move was instantly absorbed.

"Sceptile, Bullet Seed! I want a Bubble from Blastoise, Ember from Arcanine, and Hidden Power if you know the move!"

Everyone attacked, even if they were questioning the Trainer's sanity (no one would expect a level 80 Blastoise to be directed to use Bubble). All of the attacks hit but could not do any damage.

"Scizor, Metal Claw!"

The Bug-Type moved forward and aimed his right claw, but his move passed right through the Hand and ended up cracking a Tombstone behind the group.

" _ **You should give up now,"**_ Buried Alive cackled.

"You're really cliche, you know?" Ash asked, clutching his cloak in an attempt to warm himself up. He felt the ends of his cloak brush against the wall and realized that he'd been slowly backing away. A putrid odor rose throughout the room, and the Trainer started to gag at the smell.

Pikachu had moved in front of his Trainer to protect him, but the White Hands had stopped caring for the Pokemon. For a second, Ash wondered if Foresight could've been effective, but Vivi wasn't around. Come to think of it, how did his Eevee know Foresight in the first place? It was considered an illegal move by Smogon University, one of the best battling schools in the world. Was Smogon in Hoenn or Sinnoh again? He'd like to attend a class there one day…

"Ash!" Pikachu yelled, snapping the Trainer from his thoughts and bringing him back to reality, where the White Hands had closed around his neck.

At that moment, an idea popped into his head. A very stupid idea, but all of Ash's plans could usually be considered stupid in one way or another.

"I know what you want," the Trainer spoke up, "but you can't get it out of me with your White Hands. Come at me and do it yourself." To emphasize his point, he stopped struggling and lifted both hands in a surrendering gesture.

" _Do you think he knows what he's doing?"_ Arcanine asked Pikachu.

" _Yep. He has that, 'I'm not as stupid as I usually am' look right now."_

The White Hands let go of his neck, causing a strangled gasp from the Trainer, before grabbing Ash's wrists and covering his hands.

"Be right back," the Indigo Plateau Champion called out to his Pokemon, giving them his signature grin.

The White Hands let go, dropping the Trainer in front of the undead corpse. Two rotting arms reached out from the ground, grabbing at the teen, who went limp at the touch of Buried Alive.

" _A-Red!"_ Pikachu exclaimed in horror.

* * *

 **AN: Rip.**

 **So...how's, uh, Alola? I got a little annoyed at the fact that Ash couldn't cook but later decided that it was okay because even though he helped make stuff in XY, Alolan food can be different from Kalosian food. Plus, the XY gang had soup like, every day. So I concluded that Ash knows how to make nothing but soup. Apparently, he's also terrible at fishing, too. So what if he isn't getting any fish because he's not using his special Misty lure? Or because Alolan fishing equipment is different than...okay, I'm done. (This is how I come up with a plotline.)**

 **Anyway. Thanks for everything, guys. I never dreamed of getting 100 followers and 95 favorites. It means a lot to me. And to achieve that today (technically, yesterday)...is amazing, especially on my first Fanfiction story. I'd like to give special thanks to AgitatedDog9288, Lianne (Guest), ultimateCCC, and bladetri for their support, Pokeevee57 for their awesomeness (update pls), and ItsHardToFindAPenName for being my first follower. Thank you so much!**

 **Now that that's finished, see you next week, and don't forget to leave a review!**

 **~Crestilia**

 **Oh, and one more thing. I told you this was a rated T fanfic, right? Haha, don't worry. All profane words are either censored or...uh, *spoiler spoiler spoiler.* (I'm a pure child and tell you that this will never happen again once *spoiler spoiler spoiler*)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Alola!**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

" _Ash would faint whenever he pushed too hard, and for some reason, he blamed it on himself,"_ Hawlucha continued as the group continued to hike up the long path. " _I guess he thought that he wasn't strong enough to maintain Greninja's form, which was stupid if you ask me."_

* * *

It was silent over Lavender Town as the night continued. Most of the people and Pokemon had grown accustomed to the unspoken taboo of leaving their houses after sundown, for they knew that the Ghost-Types ruled the night in their city. No light remained in the town to allow for the peaceful dwelling of nighttime Pokemon.

The residents of the superstitious town couldn't see it, but a thick fog had begun to descend upon the famous Pokemon Tower of Kanto, seeping through its windows and walls as if it didn't exist at all. Lightning struck the skies, and clouds tumbled through the sky.

And yet, there was no sound. The wind, streets, and sky were completely silent..

* * *

" _Is your Trainer okay?"_ Arcanine asked.

" _U-uh…"_

" _Pikachu, you don't think—"_

" _He's fine. Just give him a minute, and...believe in him."_

* * *

' _Oh, darnit.'_

That was the first thing that passed through Ash's mind as he opened his eyes.

He knew he was dead. There was no question about it. On the bright side, Buried Alive hadn't devoured his soul, which meant that Ash had managed to successfully commit suicide. It was just the transferring of Aura, but on a larger scale. No biggie. And death was just another adventure, right?

The teen knew that he was just covering up his feeling of ' _whoops, I guess I screwed up'_ with optimistic thoughts.

But he'd honestly expected to end up in whatever afterlife Humans experienced after they died. Some people believed in reincarnation, especially into Ghost-Types (where did half of those creepy Pokedex entries come from, anyway?). Others believed in paradise or some sort of ascension into the sky. To Ash, it was more likely that Litwick would steal your energy before you die and Dusknoir would then lead you into the Ghost World...or whatever it was called (he'd had too many experiences with the spirit world).

But Ash didn't really expect to find himself in the middle of a heated argument between Xerneas and Yveltal. Even Squishy the Zygarde was present, even if he had a look of annoyance plastered on his face.

" _Zygarde, I demand Buried Alive. He has eluded me for years—"_

" _No one escapes Death!"_ Yveltal exclaimed. " _I reserve the right to punish him!"_

" _He was undead for centuries!"_ Xerneas argued with a fierce look on her face. " _You got the chance to track him down_ _a hundred years ago_ _!"_

" _And how are you going to execute punishment? Reincarnate him?!"_

" _The dead cannot feel pain!"_

" _I can prove it to you!"_

" _You forget about my Type advant—"_

" _I am DEATH!"_

" _ENOUGH!"_ Squishy yelled, glaring at both Legendary Pokemon. " _You two will act civilized, especially in front of Ash!"_

Both Kalosian legends turned to the ghostly figure of the young teen and immediately pretended that their previous conversation was nonexistent.

" _Hello, Cho—uh, Ash,"_ Yveltal greeted.

The Trainer narrowed his eyes, choosing to ignore the Dark and Flying-Type's accidental slip-up. " _ **Uh, so...what's up? Why are you two arguing?"**_

Xerneas and Yveltal proceeded to hide their sheepish smiles in the face of the Trainer.

" _That's what_ _I'd_ _like to know as well,"_ Squishy spoke up.

Ash suddenly found it funny that two of the most powerful deities in Kalos (and probably the world as well) were cowering in front of a green, blob-shaped Pokemon that was at least a hundred times smaller than they were.

" _ **I never thought 'the Order Pokemon' would be taken so literally,"**_ he remarked.

" _Welcome to the courthouse,"_ Squishy replied. " _I'm just happy that it's not a Kyogre and Groudon day."_

" _ **Ouch."**_

" _Yeah. I have to get Rayquaza_ _every time_ _they fight over property."_ The Ground and Dragon-Type paused as if he had remembered something. " _Oh, right. You're in the Hall of Origin...the West Wing, of course, where we have our meetings and court cases."_

" _ **I see. By the way, how's Greninja doing?"**_

" _Pretty well. We're making good progress on our mission, and I think—"_

" _Get to the point, already!"_ Yveltal exclaimed. " _I want my Buried Alive! And my White Hands! They shall be tortured!"_

" _I can come up with a more extreme punishment,"_ Xerneas countered _. "I'll give them a half-life, where—"_

 _STOP IT!"_ Squishy yelled again. Both Pokemon stopped arguing and turned away from each other immaturely.

" _ **So…"**_

" _In case you were wondering,"_ Xerneas spoke up, refusing to look at Yveltal, " _I'm reviving Ash, and you can't do anything about it."_

" _If you get Ash, I want Buried Alive."_

" _ **Do I get a say in this?"**_ the Trainer asked.

" _No,"_ Squishy replied.

" _ **Oh. Okay."**_

The Fairy-Type Legendary narrowed her eyes. " _I ca—"_

" _No."_

Ash raised a hand cautiously, silently asking permission to speak.

" _Yes?"_ Zygarde asked.

" _ **Why can't you just split him up amongst yourselves? Like…you know, share?"**_

The Life Pokemon turned her head to face the young teen with wide eyes. She paused, then nodded slowly. " _If we split his soul…"_

Yveltal looked pensive. " _And make him su—"_

" _ **Spare me the details,"**_ Ash interrupted. " _ **Please."**_

The Destruction Pokemon had a wild look in his eyes, and the Trainer wasn't about to question it. Being the entity of Death probably had its downsides.

" _You make a good judge,"_ Squishy remarked, addressing Ash. " _Maybe you'd like to take my spot one day."_

" _ **No, I'm good. Thanks, though."**_

" _I agree,"_ Xerneas agreed. " _We need to get him back to the living."_

* * *

There was a period of silence, and for a second he saw nothing.

Then he heard it.

" _ **Impossible!"**_

Ash opened his eyes and saw the decaying Buried Alive thrashing around in pain.

" _ **I do not understand!"**_ the corpse wailed.

The Pokemon Trainer held up a translucent finger as he floated just out of reach from the undead figure. " _ **You forgot one thing,"**_ he revealed. " _ **My life force goes where my soul goes. You sensed it, didn't you? You realized that I could restore you."**_

" _Ash's got him,"_ Pikachu whispered.

" _How?"_ Arcanine asked.

Ash smirked, crossing his arms with a pleased look. " _ **My name is Red. Your name is Buried Alive, yet you are dead. It is not my job to restore you, but Xerneas's."**_

To the bystander Pokemon, it seemed as if the Buried Alive was flailing around like a Magikarp's attempt to jump over a mountain. The White Hands had dropped to the ground, unmoving, but neither Pikachu nor Arcanine attempted to touch them.

" _ **I also sense,"**_ Ash continued, " _ **that in your belief of a new life force, you forgot to hold onto the incarnation of yourself as a tie to the Physical World. Goodbye, and may the Yggdrasil have mercy on you."**_

Buried Alive collapsed, disintegrating into dust with his White Hands.

* * *

" _ **Thank you, Xerneas, Yveltal,"**_ Ash spoke up, bowing his head.

" _No,"_ the Life Pokemon replied, " _it is_ _you_ _that we have to thank. Buried Alive has been residing in Lavender Tower for ages, and we were forced to overlook him because of our duties."_

" _Life is busy, and so is Death,"_ the Dark and Flying-Type agreed, standing next to his counterpart.

" _And you're a bit overdue for getting back,"_ Xerneas remarked. " _We should revive you. Although...why don't you stay for a bit? We'll show you around the Spirit World. And I'm sure Zygarde wouldn't mind."_

The Trainer chuckled. " _ **Of course! How could I refuse?"**_

* * *

" _I need Arcanine to carry Red back to the Gym and someone else to return our Silph Scope,"_ Pikachu directed. " _Scizor, go tell Gary what happened. The rest of us will loot the base and try to find anything important."_

Sceptile shrugged. " _You know, I've read a folktale like this in the library once. Apparently, a boy once sacrificed his life to stop a fight between legends, and Yveltal was nice enough to preserve him in stone. The tears of the Pokemon surrounding him reached Xerneas, who took pity on him and used the tears to restore his life."_

" _My mama told me a similar story,"_ Gabite spoke up. " _But I always thought that the tears of Pokemon were the ones that could revive life. Nothing about this 'Xerneas' character."_

" _Why does this sound familiar?"_ Pikachu whispered to himself.

" _You want us to cry?!"_ Blastoise asked, confused.

" _Ewww,"_ Electivire remarked. " _That's...unmanly."_

" _You're_ _unmanly."_

" _I don't think I'd ever cry if Ash died,"_ Pikachu muttered to himself. " _I mean, he just did, and I'm perfectly fine. Maybe it's 'cause I'm used to it by now, but...eh, whatever."_

Sceptile narrowed his eyes. " _Honestly, I think Ash can find his way back to the living_ _without_ _us having to cry over him. C'mon, guys. Let's finish the job."_

* * *

Vivi and Umbreon walked back to Viridian, refreshed. Along the way, they met a lot of tired, woozy Pokemon from their team but decided to ignore them. It was probably the better option.

* * *

Scizor tried to imitate a certain someone by taking a hat from Gary's desk and trying to dramatically collapse as best as he could.

"You're telling me that Ash Ketchum is falling."

" _Uh, no,"_ Scizor replied, and tried again.

"Wait, I don't get it. Ash is dead?"

" _Uh, yeah."_

"Are you sure?"

Scizor nodded again.

Gary narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand his Pokemon. Then he looked up. "I knew it."

" _Huh?"_ Asked the Bug-Type.

"You're joking."

" _Uh, I'm not?"_

"Scizor, who is that right behind you?"

"Sorry I'm late," Ash walked in. "Now can I please go to bed?"

* * *

Ash Ketchum was sitting on a log at the edge of the Viridian Forest, trying to triangulate the location of the Team Rocket Headquarters from the map that the Pokemon had given him. If he drew a line from Mahogany Town to Cerulean City…

The Trainer was so used to the constant racket in the forest caused by the local Pidgey that he was surprised that he hadn't noticed it earlier.

"Hey Caterpie," he looked in the direction of a Bug-Type who was munching on a couple of leaves in a nearby tree. "Where is the local Pidgey flock today?"

" _I don't know,"_ replied the Worm Pokemon, who was used to seeing Ash train in the area by now. " _They're always around."_

The teen was silent for a moment, then released his Pidgeot from her ball.

"I have a new assignment for you," he announced, putting a hand on her back assuringly.

" _Yes? What is it?"_

"I think your flock left recently. You know where they would be?"

" _No."_

"That's strange. I don't think this is a part of their seasonal migration, right? Go find them, and make sure that they're okay. I know _I'll_ be fine."

The Bird Pokemon blinked in surprise. " _Ash…"_

"Go," he insisted. "It's okay if you have to stay and protect them, too."

" _Wait,"_ the Flying-Type held up a wing. " _I meant to tell you this, but remember back when we were traveling to Mahogany Town?"_

"Yeah."

" _Remember how I was tired, even though we didn't even fly that far?"_

"Pidgeot…"

" _Uh, sorry for not training much between our time together. I know I wasn't very strong when I went to protect the flock, and I didn't really improve either, even if I said that I did."_

"Pidgeot—"

" _I was able to fly much faster after only a week of training. We flew from Goldenrod to Oak's and back, remember?"_

"Pidgeot, you're making excuses. What if we were flying against the wind that day?"

" _I just wanted to thank you for resuming my—"_

Is this what has been on your mind? On your day back, you sparred against Charizard. Why do _all_ my Pokemon have self-esteem issues?!"

" _That's not what…"_ the Bird Pokemon trailed off.

Ash shook his head."Pidgeot, go protect your flock. You're strong. So show it."

The Flying-Type nodded slowly before putting a wing around her Trainer in an embrace. " _Thanks,"_ she muttered.

"No problem. Just make sure your flock is safe."

" _Well…"_

"What is it?" Ash asked.

" _I wanted to say goodbye to Fearow first…"_

The Trainer sighed. "Go," he said, smiling.

The Bird Pokemon nodded gratefully and promptly flew off.

" _That's awfully nice of you,"_ the Caterpie noted.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, my Pokemon have busy lives. Sometimes they worry too much about whether I die in the next few seconds, and it gets pretty overwhelming. I think that it's good for them to take a break when they're stressed out."

The Bug-Type's eyes widened as the Trainer continued to draw intersecting lines on his map.

* * *

"Gallade, do you know Teleport?"

" _I do, sir."_

"After you stop calling me 'sir,' I have a little assignment for you."

Gallade smirked slightly. " _I'm sorry, but it is my job to be dutiful, sir."_

"I give up!" Ash exclaimed. "Are you ever going to stop that?"

" _No, sir."_

"...Okay then," the Trainer responded, narrowing his eyes.

* * *

"Alright, it's time for a meeting," Ash announced as he climbed up a tree and motioned for the rest of his team to follow.

" _Meetings are a good for bonding with friends and family,"_ Gabite commented, sticking his claws into the tree to hoist himself up.

Vivi giggled, turning into a Leafeon. " _I agree!"_

Their Trainer found a cozy spot on a branch to sit in, careful to sit at the sturdy end near the trunk. "Uh, yeah. We have some things to talk about."

Pikachu jumped up to sit on Ash's lap, and Sceptile climbed onto another tree's branch, taking out a twig and sticking into his mouth during the process.

Gallade took one look at the tree above him, crossed his arms, and Teleported up.

Once everyone was in a tree, Ash cleared his throat (unconvincingly) and began the meeting.

"I've triangulated the location of the headquarters," he announced. "We should be there in a few days or so. But before that, we need to discuss some battle strategies."

" _I think we need to learn some new moves,"_ Sceptile spoke up. " _I'd like to use Acrobatics, Earthquake, and Thunder Punch in battle."_

Vivi's eyes lit up. " _Oooh! Umbreon said that Facade was a good move to learn!"_

Ash took out his strategy notebook, turned to an empty page, and started to jot down the moves.

Gabite raised a claw politely. " _I'd like to learn Flamethrower and Dragon Pulse."_

" _What about you, Gallade?"_ the Trainer asked the newest member of the team.

" _Well, I know Close Combat, Night Slash, Teleport, and Leaf Blade right now. Do you think I could start learning how to spar with different types of blades? Oh, and Thunderbolt, Dazzling Gleam, and Aerial Ace are cool moves."_

The teen continued to scribble down more words. "Hey, why don't we all learn Round?" he suggested. "If everyone uses it consecutively, it'll be strong."

" _The power of teamwork is amazing,"_ Gabite agreed.

"Yeah, sure. Oh! By the way, Pikachu, I was searching this up earlier. Did you know that you could learn Magnet Rise?"

The Electric-Type gaped. " _You mean,_ _fly_ _?!"_

"Yeah. Why not?"

There was a quick moment of silence as the Electric-Type considered the option. " _Fine. But if I learn, you have to as well."_ The Mouse Pokemon looked around at each member of his team. "And Gabite, too."

"And how would I do that?" Ash asked his Starter Pokemon.

" _You use your Aura to make wings and just do what Pidgeot does."_

The Pokemon Trainer was a little confused. Next to him, Gabite was having the same problem.

"Do we really need more flyers?" the teen asked.

" _We should bring Talonflame to teach you guys. She's taught Noivern."_

" _I'll make sure that Pikachu learns Magnet Rise correctly,"_ Sceptile spoke up, amused. " _In the meantime, we should start training."_

"Gallade, can you Teleport to Professor Oak's Lab in Pallet Town, and ask the Bulbasaur there for Talonflame?" The Trainer tore out a sheet of paper from his notebook. "Oh, and give him this note, too."

The Blade Pokemon saluted with a smirk. " _Yes, sir."_

In a flash of light, the Psychic-Type was gone. Ash's gaze went back to his team, where Pikachu was snickering slightly.

" _Why does he call you 'sir?'"_ his Starter asked.

"I dunno. Maybe he enjoys it."

* * *

"So…"

Ash was sitting on a small stone, watching Pikachu fight with Gabite. An Iron Tail was quickly blocked with twin Dragon Claws, and a Stone Edge was quickly sliced up by said Iron Tail.

"What is Talonflame like?"

Pikachu looked up in confusion, then ran out of the way from a Rock Tomb. " _What do you mean?"_ He asked. " _You know what Talonflame is like."_

"I mean, how's her personality? What does she talk about?"

The electric mouse was about to counter Gabite's Incinerate, but Vivi suddenly joined the fight as a Leafeon, surprising Pikachu with Dig.

" _I, uh...personally think that she's a tryhard,"_ Pikachu admitted. " _Nevermind. Your_ _entire Kalos team_ _was tryhard. But all Talonflame talked about as a Fletchling was how she had to work hard and win. She was cool, though, when she wasn't trying to kill me with Brave Bird."_

"That's...great," the Trainer remarked, wincing at the sight of his Leafeon jumping over and practically pounding the Electric-Type to the ground with Energy Balls (even Sceptile was contemplating on joining the fun). Gabite seemed generally confused, but after a few seconds, had promptly been engaged in a blade fight after Sceptile decided that it was the perfect time to sneak-attack his teammate.

* * *

" _Snorlax!"_ Bulbasaur scolded.

Donphan went back to sleep as soon as he saw the letter 'fall' into Snorlax's mouth. He didn't want to get involved with unnecessary combat. In other words, Staraptor had whispered in his ear to not interfere with their 'fun.'

He was pretty sure that Ash's Flying-Types were a cult nowadays.

* * *

"Is it just me, or is Gallade taking a long time?" Ash asked his team.

" _We can worry about that later,"_ his Pikachu replied. " _You haven't even asked about what we picked up at the Team Rocket base."_

"Oh yeah. Wait, how did you know that I don't know what you picked up at the base?" the Trainer asked, trying not to stumble over his own words.

" _You were dead, remember?"_

"Oh, right."

" _Anyway, you know that we found some maps already, but we also picked up the phone number of Team Rocket,"_ the Mouse Pokemon reported _. "There were some Pokeballs that we destroyed, a random Pokedex, and these Mega Stones—"_

"Wait, what?!" Ash interrupted, not sure if he heard his Pokemon correctly.

" _Yeah, Mega Stones. They're in that giant sack back at the Gym. Have you not checked?"_

"I was too tired to do anything all morning, remember?"

* * *

Ash squinted at the computer screen, trying to match the colors of the Mega Stone to the colors in Gary's file.

"This one," the teen held up a white and navy blue one, "is Absolite, which doesn't really help us here, but I'm still looking at the other ones."

" _Look faster,"_ Pikachu bluntly remarked.

"Maybe you could help me…"

" _Fine."_ The Electric-Type pointed to a brown-colored stone with a swirl of red and blue. " _That one is Gyaradosite, by the way,"_

"Maybe we can give that one to Misty. This one is Blastoisinite, so that's Gary's."

" _Any Pikachu-"_

"No, don't even ask," the Trainer interrupted. "This one is Galladite, and that one next to it is Gardevoirite, though. Do you think Gallade would like an upgrade?"

" _Sure. Oooh, I found Charizardite Y. And Garchompite, although Gabite would have to evolve first."_

"True," Ash nodded. "And here's Sceptilite. We're pretty lucky, aren't we?"

Pikachu cocked his head in disagreement. " _Nah. It's just that we have literally forty different Mega Stones right now."_

"I think Brock would like Steelixite. What do you think?"

" _I think...that you forgot about the Keystone."_

"..."

" _..."_

"...Darn."

* * *

"Actually, remember that time when Latios, Latias and Rayquaza all Mega-Evolved without a Keystone?" Ash asked his Pikachu.

" _Are you sure it's not just because they're all Legendaries?"_ The Electric-Type recanted with his own question.

"...Well then. But there's a difference between going Primal and Mega-Evolving," The Trainer argued.

" _We can just ask Gary, you know."_

* * *

"Some Pokemon have livers and stuff that contain Mega Stone energy, so they can evolve without Trainers, but those are usually Legendary Pokemon, although it hasn't been confirmed in any Pokemon but Rayquaza. Primal doesn't really count, so I don't know much. Why do you ask anyway?"

His friend smirked a little, before taking some Mega Stones from his bag. "Here. Alakamite and Blastoisite. All you're missing now is the Keystone."

Gary stared, before realizing that he was talking to Ash Ketchum. "So there's no Keystone?" He asked.

"The Pokemon found the stones in the Lavender Tower without one."

"Darn."

* * *

" _I'm back, sir!"_ Gallade called out into the forest, only to be handed two Mega-Stones. He blinked in surprise and watched Pikachu grumble about how there wasn't a recorded Pikachunite or something.

"Hey, Gallade," Ash greeted as he stepped out of the bushes. "Hey, Talonflame."

" _Hi Ash,"_ the Flying-Type cawed in happiness.

"Right," Pikachu interrupted the greeting. "So you need to—"

" _Yeah, I've heard. Teach a Gabite and Ash to fly."_ Talonflame glanced at Ash questioningly and watched his Trainer put up both hands in an 'I surrender' gesture. " _Do we start now?"_

" _Ye-"_

"No, of course not. You need to go meet Vivi first," the young Trainer stated.

" _Fine,"_ Pikachu muttered.

* * *

" _So all you do is spread out your wings and flap,"_ Talonflame instructed.

Gabite raised a claw. " _One problem. I don't have wings."_

The Fire and Flying-Type glanced at Ash, who shrugged in reply.

" _We could take a trip to the library and figure it out,"_ Sceptile suggested as he sparred with Pikachu, trying to keep him in the air with Leaf Storm.

" _You and your libraries,"_ the Electric-Type rolled his eyes.

" _Hey, I was just suggesting."_

* * *

Serena sat at the Slateport Pokemon Center window, in a video call with a friend she'd made during her travels in Hoenn.

"I'm pretty sure I saw him, but Cilan didn't seem to think so. It was actually a pretty brief discussion too. Do you know a Gary Oak?" Iris asked suddenly.

"Do you mean the Professor Oak of Kanto?" Serena replied with her own question.

"No," the Dragon-Type Trainer responded. "I mean his grandson. He was studying Mega-Evolution for a while in Kalos before he switched to Pokemon Natures and the categorization of Pokemon of the same species."

"Wow. Sounds like you did your research."

"It was on the news a few years ago. By the way, do you know Dawn?"

"Who?"

Iris looked at Serena questioningly. "You're so behind," she stated bluntly. "She was one of Ash's old traveling companions. You know, Princess of Sinnoh?"

The Pokemon Performer shrugged. "I know there's a Princess of _Hoenn_ …"

"Oh! You mean May, another one of Ash's old traveling companions? Actually, I'm not even sure that there _is_ a Princess of Sinnoh, although she did technically beat...Anyway, Dawn has this one-person fangirl club dedicated to Gary Oak, who runs a Gym in Kanto."

"I see. Did something happen?"

Iris seemed to look away from the screen, possibly at a nearby clock. "Yeah, but I'll tell you another time. And thanks for listening to me rant. It seems like none of the Gym Leaders—like Cilan—would give me the time of day." She sighed. "They're all so busy."

* * *

 **AN: Introducing a new character! Yay!**

 **Thanks for reading. Be sure to review and be awesome! (A follow or favorite wouldn't hurt either...haha)**

 **My favorite part of today's chapter: '"I am DEATH!"'**

 **Thanks so much, and I'll s** **ee you next week!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Merry Belated (depends on when you see this) Christmas, guys. Here's my gift to you.**

* * *

It was a cold morning.

If Pidgeot didn't know any better, she would've assumed that winter had come early that year.

She looked behind her, seeing an outline of the magnificent peak of Mount Silver, and shivered. Flying-Types _hated_ high altitudes.

Then why did the Zubat tell her that her flock was headed this way?

The Bird Pokemon was getting worried, but that didn't stop her from flying.

* * *

" _Hey! You!"_ Swellow shouted into the distance.

" _I don't think they can hear you,"_ Daro the Tauros remarked.

" _Maybe I can make a signal flare,"_ Infernape suggested. " _Noivern, help me."_

" _Okay."_

Hawlucha narrowed his eyes, posing dramatically as he looked into the horizon. " _Those are Pidgey, right?"_

Torterra nodded. " _Yep."_

" _What are they doing in such cold weather?"_

* * *

As the sun rose in the east, Charizard and Charla sat just outside the Charicific Valley, gazing into the distance romantically and being totally aware of the complaints from the other Fire and Flying-Types in the area.

" _Have you heard the expression: 'Stop the PDA?!'"_

" _You're ruining my view!"_

" _Alright, you upstart! I'll crush you in a battle and teach you a lesson about dating spots!"_

* * *

Ash twirled around in Gary's desk chair, watching his Gym Leader friend draw routes to the Johto Mountain Range. Vivi and Umbreon had just finished their report on the disappearance of Sabrina, which surprised both Trainers.

Afterward, Gary was having trouble deciding his team.

"Do you think Fearow or Rhydon would be better for the Rocket Base?" the Pokemon Researcher asked.

"I dunno. You choose."

" _Why am I getting deja vu?"_ Pikachu asked, poking at his Trainer's hat.

Umbreon shrugged.

* * *

"Oh yeah," Ash spoke up, "don't forget to leave your Pokedex and everything else that Team Rocket can trace."

"Alright. Oh, don't forget to iron out the laundry," the Gym Leader replied.

"Stop trying to get me to do your chores!"

Gary smirked. "You got a problem with that?"

"Of course I—" Ash began, but was quickly muffled out by the loud crash of a bookshelf falling down.

"That's what I thought!"

* * *

The Pokemon in the backyard were discussing strategies against Team Rocket.

" _And against the Persian, use moves that will always hit like Aerial Ace. That thing is fast,"_ Pikachu instructed. " _And annoying."_

" _I see,"_ Sceptile remarked. " _Apparently, Giovanni tends to use Ground-Types. Judging from the layout of the Johto Mountains, mixed with the—"_

" _Sceptile, just get to the point,"_ Ash's Starter interrupted.

Everyone else took mental notes.

* * *

Gallade turned out to be a great sparring partner, especially for Ash, who was already used to getting beat up by his Pokemon.

"So, are you comfortable with battling as a Gardevoir if needed?" he asked as his thrust clashed with a Sacred Sword.

" _Yessir. I'm perfectly comfortable with it."_

"Good," Ash replied as he managed to block an extremely strong blow to his stomach with another blade of Aura. "And please, just stop calling me—"

" _Sorry, sir. It is the duty of the Gallade species to be loyal to their Trainers,"_ the Blade Pokemon replied, almost hitting the teen with a well-placed Slash.

"One day, I'm going to find out that no other Gallade in the world calls their Trainer 'sir,'" Ash muttered as he lunged, missing his teleporting opponent.

Gallade smirked and promptly turned into a Gardevoir, using Moonblast to push his Trainer to take on a defensive state. The teen raised up a thick shield of Aura to block the damage, grunting as the sheer force of the attack pushed him back.

" _Mewtwo has plans to meet us in the mountains,"_ the Psychic and Fairy-Type reported.

"Alright," Ash replied, grimacing as the barrier of Aura broke. He quickly wielded two blades of energy in response and blocked another beam of light.

" _No problem, sir."_

"You know," the Trainer spoke up, "you're getting more and more like Pikachu every day."

" _Thank you, sir."_

"I don't think that was a compliment."

" _That's okay, sir."_

* * *

Gary Oak was almost finished with all his packing.

It was after Gym hours, so the building should've been closed for the past three hours. But the Pokemon Researcher practically lived in his Gym (Pallet Town was a day of biking from the large city), so the lights to the building were usually on at 1 in the morning from his late-night studying.

The Gym Leader was stuffing his sleeping bag into his backpack when he heard a loud knock at the front door.

Assuming it was Ash, Gary went to answer it but realized that the other Pokemon Trainer wouldn't knock. His friend had gotten used to climbing in through the window. Plus, the other teen was sparring with his Gallade in the nearby forest and wouldn't be back until 2 am.

Earlier that day, Gary had made sure to write a notice to tape on the front door of the Gym, saying that he wouldn't be accepting challengers for awhile. Anyone who could read would've headed to the Pokemon Center for the night.

He was pretty sure that if a Trainer who didn't know how to read would be unable to graduate from school to go on their journey.

"Gary Oak of Viridian City! Come out!" a gruff voice sounded from outside.

The Gym Leader froze. Who was at the—

 _DA DAH, DA DAHHH DAHHHHH!_

Gary had forgotten that he'd left the Pokegear volume on. The upbeat ringtone blasted through the Gym, loud enough for maybe even Ash to hear.

Goshdangit.

His eyes widened at the sound, and he promptly sprinted across the slippery floor, tripping over a fallen book and crashing into the desk where his Pokegear innocently rang. He promptly grabbed the device and held it to his shirt, muffling the sound.

"Mr. Oak! I know you're in there!"

The man (at least, it sounded like one) started to pound furiously on the door, and the Pokemon Researcher figured that it wasn't the normal, cheery Trainer who wanted a friendly gym battle.

Hesitantly, he glanced down to check the caller ID displayed on the screen of the Pokegear (it better not be that Joey guy with his stupid Rattata). Thankfully, it was Ash, who had apparently stolen a Pokegear from him for the day, in case the other Trainer wanted to return back to the Gym later than usual.

"Gary! There are Rocket grunts at your door!" the Trainer whispered. "They have this white van, and...I think they kinda want to kidnap you or something."

"What do you mean, 'kinda?' And how do you know?" the Gym Leader asked frantically.

"I meant that I'm pretty sure they want to kidnap you," the Aura adept replied. There are literally about seventy of them right outside the front door. Oh, and don't even think about trying to battle them all with your half-asleep team. Plus, Zubat can learn status moves, remember?"

"Is there anyone at the back door?"

"Yep; at least thirty are clustered there," his friend responded.

A loud thumping could be heard from the front of the building.

"Oak! If you don't come out now, we will burn your Gym to the ground! I will have no mercy for you or your Pokemon!"

"Hurry up," Ash instructed urgently.

"Alright. I'll grab everything and have Umbreon Dig me out. Can you distract them?"

"Sure. Now hurry!"

Gary started to feel abnormally toasty. "Does the town know that I'm being attacked?" he asked.

"Of course not! It's like, 2 am right now!"

* * *

Joe barely dodged the exploding orb of blue light that flew past him that narrowly missed his right ear.

A few hours earlier, the boss had instructed his squad to kidnap the famous Gary Oak in hopes of further corrupting the Pokemon League. They'd already taken many other Gym Leaders, but the boss began hearing rumors of consistent losses against the new Viridian Gym Leader. Challengers reported many crushing defeats, telling each other stories of overpowered Pokemon that won despite their Type disadvantages.

Without him, even the scientific world would be negatively affected.

Just how strong _was_ that guy?

Another glowing sphere collided with the side of the Gym, exploding in a brilliant flash of blue. Other grunts looked behind them to look for the source of the light but only saw shadows of the surrounding forest.

The Rocket grunt felt a shiver down his spine. For some reason, there was a foreboding feeling in the air, as if someone was watching him.

Joe's squad leader was pounding on the front door of the building and shouting for the Gym Leader to come out.

A third orb of blue light crashed into the Gym wall.

"Hello?" another grunt called out into the darkness. "Is anyone there?"

The squad leader frowned, turning to glare at Joe and the other Rockets. "Be quiet, Einstein. Don't want the town to wake up, right?"

"Sorry, sir."

Only a few seconds passed before another ball of energy soared through the air, hitting Joe's squad leader in the face. The man grunted but said nothing as he glared menacingly into the trees.

A dull glow appeared in the distance. It was almost unnoticeable, but definitely there.

Joe tried to keep himself from shivering.

"An officer is probably coming," the Squad Leader growled. "Take out your Fire-Types, and let's burn this place to ashes."

* * *

"Gary!" Ash whispered urgently into the Pokegear. "Are you done?!"

"Uh, I just need to grab one thing—done! Umbreon, Dig us out!" the Gym Leader frantically commanded as he began to see the orange tips of fire.

"I'll tell you where to Dig with Aura Sight," the other Trainer said. "Just keep going straight from this area...are you sure the hole is big enough for all your bags?"

The Gym Leader's voice was hoarse from breathing in the smoke that had seeped into the hole. "I chose Umbreon because my other Pokemon are huge and will cause a commotion. Plus, a smaller hole won't be noticed as easily. I'll manage."

"Okay then. Tell Umbreon to turn 90 degrees to the left. I'll tell you when we're close."

"Umbreon, go left!"

"Bree-bree!"

* * *

"Did he survive?" Joe asked, staring at the wild tongues of fire that consumed the building.

"There is no way he could've lived through this one. Let's go; the townspeople are awakening."

* * *

May and Dawn were staying in Pallet Town for the night, and were in Professor Oak's Laboratory, watching the news.

"It has been confirmed that the Viridian City Gym was burned to the ground at two in the morning, and although there were no bodies found, our detectives doubt that anyone could've survived."

The Princess of Hoenn stared at the screen in horror. Her companion expressed similar thoughts.

"What is it?" Tracey asked as he entered the room, bouncing a Psyduck in his arms. When Dawn pointed at the TV, the Pokemon Watcher turned to the screen and promptly dropped the Duck Pokemon in surprise.

"Psyayayayayay!" the Water-Type complained.

"Sorry, Psyduck!" Tracey apologized.

"What's all the commoti...oh dear," Samuel Oak exclaimed in horror as he entered the scene. "Tracy, get the car. We're going to Viridian."

* * *

Gary coughed out smoke again as Ash tried to calm him down.

"It's a good thing that most of my personal stuff is still at Grandpa's," the Gym Leader wheezed.

"Plus," his friend added, "your building supplies come in sooner or later. You can rebuild the entire building then." He then held out a hand, and the other teen took it, rising to his feet.

"So...now what?" Gary asked. "You threw all our electronics in the fire, right?"

"Yup. Let's get to Johto now, unless you want to tell your Grandpa that you're alive or something."

The Gym Leader frowned. "Just do it quickly with your magic powers. My lungs are dead."

"For the billionth time, they're not ma—"

"Just get on with it."

* * *

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't allow you past the police tape," Melissa Jenny apologized to an aged man. Next to him, a young teen drew the crime scene on his sketchpad.

"Officer Jenny, I am Samuel Oak. Give me the right to search the area," the Pokemon Professor demanded angrily.

The officer blinked, realizing who she was talking to, and let him and his assistant under the tape.

Professor Oak narrowed his eyes, pointing at some dark patches that littered the walls of the extinguished Gym. "Five Flamethrowers and one Blast Burn over here. There were also four Embers—you can tell because of the size and shape of the darker scorch marks. I think that there may have been a few inexperienced Pokemon, as well as some Pokemon around Level 30, and maybe one Pokemon—a bit taller than the others—that would be around Level 50. The house was probably surrounded, and I think there were around sixty to eighty Pokemon."

The Jenny took notes.

"One more thing," the Professor spoke up again. "Will you allow my assistant and I to go inside alone? This Gym belongs—" he paused, realizing his mistake, "uh, _belonged_ to my grandson."

"Of course, Professor. Go ahead."

* * *

"Tracey, let me look around in silence."

"Okay, Professor," the Pokemon Watcher replied. The assistant knew better than to bring up Gary, who was presumed dead.

Instead, he started to walk around the interior of the Gym, listening to the indistinctive yells of both the police and the concerned residents of Viridian City. He knew Gary pretty well, especially since the two Trainers would hang out together whenever the Pokemon Researcher came to visit his grandfather. Although they weren't close (like, as much as Gary and Ash), he could say that they were pretty good friends.

Suddenly, his left foot began to glow blue, dragging the rest of his body across the room before stomping itself into the ground. Dirt crumbled around the area to reveal a hole just big enough for a Human to crawl through.

The Pokemon Watcher's eyes widened. "Professor! You have to see this!"

"Tracey, I thought I told you—"

"No, Professor! This is important!" the teen yelled as he tried to take his foot out of the pile of dirt.

"Fine, I'm coming."

The Pokemon Professor came quickly to pull his assistant out of the ground. At the sight of the hole, he began to smile widely.

"So he _isn't_ dead," he whispered to himself.

" _You are correct,"_ an eerie, monotonous voice sounded. " _I made sure of that."_

"Thank you," the Professor replied, bowing his head in gratitude. "But why?"

" _Team Rocket has been after all the Gym Leaders in Kanto. Be wary of them, and make sure that they are safe."_

"Who are you?" Tracey piped up.

" _Red,"_ was the last word they heard before Jenny walked in.

"Is everything alright?"

* * *

"That was creepy," Gary remarked casually. "Now let's go. Your Charizard's waiting."

"True," replied Ash. "He has no patience whatsoever."

* * *

Ash and Gary settled in a small cave that had been generously carved by Gary's Rhydon. The Gym Leader's three backpacks of clothes, food, and other personal belongings had been thrown against the back wall, and all of his Pokemon were out for convenience.

"Sorry," he apologized to his team, "the Gym was burned down by Team Rocket. This is the best we can do for now. Is everyone okay?"

"Of course we are," Umbreon replied, rolling his eyes. "If we weren't, we'd be in a hospital or something."

"Don't say that," Gabite chastised in a motherly tone. Next to him, Flareon used Flamethrower on a small pile of sticks and leaves, lighting up the area and sending smoke into the air.

"Wouldn't that just make Team Rocket able to spot us?" Gary questioned. "I'd be suspicious if I saw a column of smoke near my headquarters."

"Vaporeon, use Water Gun," Ash instructed with a sigh. Vivi quickly transformed and obediently fired a small, steady pulse of water.

"Here," Gary spoke. "Go get your Charizard, will you? I'll stay here and organize some food."

"Okay," Ash agreed, calling out his Talonflame. Together, they flew up into the cold mountain air.

* * *

"Hey, Charizard!" Ash greeted with a shout and a wave.

The Flame Pokemon responded by firing a Flamethrower at his Trainer, leaving Ash with a slightly charred face as the stream of fire hit him at full blast.

"At least your firepower is stronger now," he muttered as the two Fire-Types greeted each other.

* * *

"You want me to jump off this?" Ash asked.

 _"Yes. It's more of a challenge 'cause it's higher,"_ Talonflame clarified.

"Alright, I'll just—"

 _"Wait!"_ the Fire and Flying-Type interrupted.

"What is it?"

 _"Your right wing is lopsided. Fix it or you'll learn wrong."_

Gabite raised a claw. _"Is my right wing lopsided too?"_

 _"Your entire stance is crooked._ "

* * *

" _No, no, no!"_ Talonflame shook her head furiously. _"It's not perfect. How are you supposed to fly correctly if you're getting knocked around by the wind?"_

 _"It's called gliding?"_ Gabite asked uncertainly.

 _"Gliders manipulate where they go using the shape of their wings. Fliers flap!"_

The Cave Pokemon scratched his head with his claws. _"I don't think I'm supposed to flap."_

 _"Then don't flap!"_ the Flying-Type screeched in frustration.

"You were much nicer to Noivern," Ash remarked, squinting as a gust of wind blew dust into his face. "What happened?"

 _"He was a cute, little baby who needed my motherly care. Now, do it again!"_

"She's a lot nicer when she's not frustrated," Ash assured his Dragon and Ground-Type as they took off again.

* * *

Gary was explaining the plan to the entire group.

"Tonight, we infiltrate Team Rocket's HQ. We'll split up, secure the East and West Wings, and knock all the Pokemon out. After defeating a grunt, be sure to break the hinges of the Pokeballs. The West Wing is where they keep prisoners, so be sure to check for them. Afterward, we back out and defeat their reinforcements at the entrance. During this time, either Ash or I will dial for the police. And remember that although we're in the Johto Mountains, the HQ is actually in Kanto. Remember what's legal."

"I have the teams," Ash added. "They're written out on this sheet of paper that I'll nail on the wall for you guys. Mewtwo will also be joining us, so we'll have our needed backup."

"So for now, rest up," Gary instructed. "Us Trainers are going to discuss battle tactics."

* * *

It was about midnight.

"Ready, Red?"

"I was _born_ ready, Blue."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Get ready for that final battle, guys! (It's gonna be a heck lot of editing for me, though...)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, I'm back. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

" _Pikachu, cause a blackout,"_ Ash instructed, using Aura to communicate.

" _On it."_

" _Electivire, help him with the East Wing and the Backup Generators."_

" _Done."_

" _Done,"_ the electric mouse repeated.

"Scizor, Metal Claw," Gary spoke up with a quiet but demanding demeanor as he pointed to the front door.

It promptly shattered.

"Umbreon, Flash," the Gym Leader commanded again. The Moonlight Pokemon immediately obeyed, and the ring on his forehead began to shine like a flashlight.

" _Blue, West. I'm going in East,"_ Red gave instructions. " _Mewtwo, go with Blue. He'll need your telepathy."_

The Psychic-Type made himself known. " _Of course. Let today be the destruction of the once mighty Team Rocket."_

* * *

Petrel was one of Team Rocket's highest-ranking officers. He was immensely feared for his ability to imitate other people to the point of perfection. As a master of disguise, the Executive hated the fact that he'd been overworking, especially in the last few weeks.

Gym Leaders. Pretending to be so many of them, keeping their personalities consistent, and attempting to keep his mind intact...it became tiring quickly, to the point that he didn't really care for the loud crash outside his office door.

And that girl—Iris—kept him constantly furious with Giovanni. How did an annoying brat like that one know so many Gym Leaders? And who the heck was this 'Ash' guy?! It didn't help that he was insulted every single time he had to respond to one of her video calls: 'Hey, you don't sound very healthy. Are you okay?' or, 'Is that makeup you're wearing? I didn't know you did that. Yuck!'

It was as if the girl was born with the ability to see through disguises.

He rolled his eyes at the sudden blackout. Did a grunt do something—again? Anyway, it wasn't his job to fix it.

The Team Rocket Executive closed his eyes and didn't notice the Pikachu that snuck into the room, cheeks sparking…

* * *

" _Charizard, Flamethrower. Sceptile, Leaf Storm."_

Two bright streams of energy hit the shelves of Pokeballs, releasing the Pokemon from their servitude with Team Rocket.

" _Don't waste your energy, you two,"_ the Trainer warned, knowing that Pikachu and Electivire were right behind them, knocking out anyone that the former group could've missed. " _Blue's Pokemon can't carry us through the night, despite how many there are."_

Laughter started to echo throughout the hallway. Red and the four Pokemon around him tensed up, backing against each other to form a tight circle.

"You, think you can hold on your own to a Team Rocket Executive?" a feminine, slithery voice asked.

Red's eyes narrowed, studying the woman as she tossed her Pokeballs into the air. Arbok, Vileplume, Honchkrow, Drowzee, Muk and Weavile appeared in a flash of light with smirks plastered on their faces.

" _Hyper Beam,"_ Red instructed silently.

* * *

The hall was ridden with burnt marks and pieces of rubble. Pikachu and Electivire had moved past the Team Rocket Admin, leaving Charizard and Sceptile behind to defend.

" _Can you guys handle this?"_ the Trainer asked. The Fire-Type had been pushed back by a powerful Psychic, and a Charizard-shaped dent appeared in the wall behind the group.

" _Of course we can,"_ Sceptile answered, preparing twin Leaf Blades to block a particularly strong Aerial Ace.

" _Charizard, jump!"_ Ash instructed urgently. At the moment, his Grass-Type slammed his wrists into the ground in a particularly potent Earthquake. The walls shook, and only the Flying-Types were spared from the attack.

" _Leaf Storm! Blast Burn!"_

A few Hyper Beams answered to their attacks.

" _You guys are tired,"_ the Trainer noticed. " _Should I bring out—"_

" _No,"_ his Charizard replied, interrupting the teen. " _We can do this. You still have your Revives, right?"_

" _...Yes."_

" _Then let us handle it,"_ Sceptile added to his partner's argument. " _You'll need everyone else later."_

* * *

Red sighed. His Pokemon had sustained a lot of damage. As he tied the Rocket's hands behind her back with a red cable tie, the Trainer looked up to see both of his Pokemon panting heavily.

' _They're poisoned,'_ he realized.

He reached into his messenger bag to search for some Pecha Berries.

Gallade promptly released himself from his Pokeball.

" _Gallade? What are you—"_

" _I know Heal Bell and Heal Pulse. It's not going to help with fatigue, but Charizard and Sceptile should be able to take more hits."_

* * *

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump. Electivire, Thunder," Blue whispered.

The trio of Team Rocket grunts was easily defeated. Electivire took the liberty to crush the Pokeballs of their opponents, disabling them.

If they were loyal to their Trainer, the Pokemon would stay, but Blue doubted that to be the case. There was no way trained Pokemon could be so weak (unless they were abused, of course).

Trainers with no bonds with their Pokemon shouldn't even be considered as Trainers, according to the Pokemon Researcher. His gramps had emphasized the point more than enough.

He tied up the wrists of the grunts with blue cable ties.

"Umbreon, Mewtwo, do you see anything?"

" _The prisoners are up ahead,"_ Mewtwo spoke, using telepathy.

Blue nodded, implying that he understood, and walked ahead.

* * *

The quiet tapping of footsteps caught the attention of the Gym Leaders.

"Someone's coming," Misty whispered to Brock. "Hush."

A figure shrouded in a dark cloak walked up to the door. Shadows hid his face, but the light of his Umbreon and the Mewtwo next to him were enough to illuminate his figure.

"Brick Break," he whispered to Scizor, and immediately, the metal lock of the cell door was broken.

The Gym Leaders stood up, one by one, and became illuminated by Umbreon's light. Blue's eyes widened as he immediately recognized them.

Misty, Brock, Sabrina, and Erika from Kanto. Jasmine and Pryce from Johto. Norman from Hoenn. Chili, Cress, and Cilan from Unova…

"Team Rocket has been busy," the man in the cloak remarked. "They've managed to kidnap some of the most influential Gym Leaders in their respective regions.

"What are you here for?" Jasmine asked. "To take us out of here?"

" _I am,"_ Mewtwo suddenly declared as he floated forward. " _Blue, the rest of the West Wing is yours."_

"Gladly, friend," the man, now known as Blue, replied.

With a turn of his cape, he left with his Umbreon following closely behind.

* * *

"Did I sound like an idiot?" the Pokemon Researcher asked his Dark-Type.

"Bree-bree."

"Thank Arceus," Blue replied with a relieved grin. "That was more work than I thought it would be."

"Um-bree-on."

"Let's go fuel my ego even further," the Trainer suggested to his partner. "Pretty soon, I'll be at 'jerk' level. Then Red'll have to start hating me again."

* * *

"Sir, we're being attacked."

"Like I haven't noticed."

"And they're succeeding, sir."

"I know."

A moment of silence ensued.

"Sir—"

"Call for reinforcements."

"Sir, we don't have any power."

"Yes, we do. Bring out the backup generators. Then defend the base," the Team Rocket Boss, Giovanni growled.

"Y-yes sir!"

The Grunt ran away, and Giovanni sighed in his chair, clasping his hands together, his fingered intertwined.

"This," he assured himself, "will _not_ be the end of Team Rocket."

* * *

" _Let's head back,"_ Red instructed. " _Charizard, can you fit through these hallways?"_

The Flame Pokemon nodded, and the Trainer climbed onto his back, taking off. On the ground, Pikachu, Electivire, Sceptile, and Gallade followed. On the way out, a scared grunt tried to stop them, but Red swooped down, grabbing the collar of his uniform, and dropped him on the front steps of the Team Rocket Headquarters.

" _Go, before they send reinforcements,"_ he warned silently, using his Aura.

The man looked up, seeing the glow of unnatural, red eyes peeking out from underneath a dark cloak. The moon made no attempt to shine light into the face of the figure, and the large Charizard next to him seemed to be the only source of light for miles.

" _And please, get a job."_

The former Team Rocket grunt took no time in running away.

* * *

" _Blue, meet me at the front door,"_ Red called out to his friend silently.

" _There are helicopters approaching us,"_ Mewtwo reported. " _My friend and I can handle those."_

" _Hello,"_ a feminine voice greeted, speaking into each of the Trainers' minds.

At that moment, Blue ran out of the building. Umbreon trotted behind, waving a paw at Pikachu, Sceptile, Gallade, and Electivire.

"Red," Blue acknowledged the other Trainer.

" _Blue."_

"Get all your Pokemon out. It's time to battle.

" _Alright."_

In a flash of light, Talonflame, Gabite, and Vivi in Sylveon form appeared, quickly forming a circle around their Trainer. Blue released his Pokemon as well, instructing them to spread out into groups and fight together. Blastoise and Electivire rushed to the Gym Leader's side and watched as the teen hopped onto his Dodrio at the sight of helicopters in the distance.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump," he commanded his Pokemon. "Electivire, use Thunder. Umbreon, stay close."

"Bree?"

"We don't want to waste your energy.

" _Sceptile, use Frenzy Plant on the planes,"_ Red insisted. " _Pikachu, use Thunderbolt to cover him. Vivi, help Pikachu with Moonblast."_

It started to rain Hyper Beams. Rattata and Raticate appeared in hordes in the distance. Zubat and Ekans fired Poison Stings from the helicopters in an attempt to poison another Pokemon. Blue watched as his Nidoking and Nidoqueen stood back to back, using Mega Punch on all opponents in their way. A Hyper Fang almost connected, but a Moonblast from Red's Gardevoir and Fire Blast from Charizard pushed some Pokemon back.

The other Pallet Town Trainer was battling what seemed to be an Elite Officer with bright, curly hair and a devious smile. With a smirk, the black tulip she was holding extended into a staff.

With a flick of Red's eyes, Gabite used Draco Meteor.

"Dodrio, get me closer to the helicopters with Aerial Ace," the Gym Leader instructed his Pokemon.

"Do-drio!"

"Arcanine, Houndoom, Fire Blast! Kingler, Kingdra, Hydro Pump!" he shouted.

From a distance, Red could be seen tossing Mega Stones to some of his Pokemon. The Pokemon Researcher realized that the other Trainer was planning to steal a Keystone if he encountered one.

Helicopters dotted the sky like stars and swarmed above the Trainers like a herd of Tauros.

" _Blue! Behind you!"_ Red suddenly called out.

A hovering platform lowered itself until it was mere inches off the ground. Standing on it was the Boss of Team Rocket, Giovanni, smirking as if he'd just crushed his opponent in a fierce battle.

"Ah," he said calmly, staring into Blue's eyes beneath his cloak. "So _you_ are the one behind all this…chaos."

The Viridian City Gym Leader did not reply. Beside him, Umbreon hissed.

"I challenge you," the Rocket Boss spoke up, twirling a miniaturized Pokeball between his fingers. "It'll be a 3-on-3 battle. If you lose, you will agree to the terms of the winner." He paused. "Do you agree to my terms?"

"I…"

" _Don't do it, Blue! It's a—"_

"I accept."

" _What in Ho-oh are you doing?"_ Red asked frantically, surprised that his partner took up the challenge so suddenly

"It's my job," he replied solemnly, chuckling. "I have to do this, don't I?"

" _Have to do wha—oh."_

The Gym Leader Qualification Test usually included a traditional battle between the qualifying Trainer and the Gym Leader of their corresponding Gym. That is, if said qualifying Trainer was challenging for a position from the previous Gym Leader...

" _Blue…"_

"Shut up, Red. Let me concentrate."

Giovanni narrowed his eyes at the sudden outburst but didn't comment.

"Rhydon, prepare for battle," the former Gym Leader announced, letting the Ground and Rock-Type out of its Pokeball in a flash of light.

"Blastoise!" Blue shouted. "I need your help!"

The leader of Team Rocket chuckled slyly. "I presume that Blastoise is your Starter, no? Then it must be your most powerful Pokemon. And well-raised, too. Do you really think a mere Type Advantage could do much against me? Rhydon, Thunderbolt."

A powerful spark of electricity illuminated the makeshift battle arena, arcing across the field and blinding Red. A Sableye almost Scratched his back, but Vivi's Fairy Wind was able to blow the Dark and Ghost-Type away.

"Withdraw!" Blue shouted. The Water-Type obeyed, and the bolt of electricity hit Blastoise's hard shell.

The predecessor of the Viridian City Gym Leader smirked slightly as he watched his opponent's Pokemon fall over, unable to battle. "Choose your next Pokemon," he challenged.

Blue marveled at the power of Giovanni as he recalled his partner. Sure, he won against the Team Rocket Boss before (before that armored Pokemon completely destroyed him), but the Gym Leader had learned quickly that he wasn't supposed to use his best Pokemon against a rookie (and yes, he was a rookie back then).

"Dodrio," he called out to the Flying and Normal-Type behind him, who was protecting the Trainer from attacks outside the battle with Giovanni. "Call Umbreon for me, will you?"

The Triple Bird Pokemon let out a piercing screech with all three of his heads. In less than a second, Umbreon had appeared at his Trainer's side, ready to battle as if he read the teen's mind.

"Rhydon, Take Down."

"Sand Attack, then Shadow Ball!" Blue commanded.

From the battlefield, Red had been cornered by the forces of Pokemon surrounding him. Out of desperation, he looked around, seeing no other Humans besides his friend Blue and Giovanni, whose back was turned against the teen.

"You guys can stop, you know," he muttered aloud, summoning a shield to block the Hyper Fangs and Hyper Beams aimed toward him.

The Trainer clutched his right shoulder, where a Houndoom had used Bite.

' _C'mon, Ash,'_ he told himself. ' _This isn't the first time you've gotten a stupid scratch from a Pokemon.'_

He could feel his Aura getting weaker as he kept the shield up. A drop of sweat soaked into the ground. His arms started to shake.

' _I guess there's no other choice,'_ he reasoned, scanning the area for his Pokemon, who were all busy defending themselves from attackers.

He pushed out, concentrating his life force into his back. He shakily took flight (thank Arceus, Talonflame finally approved of his makeshift wings) and dropped at Gabite's side, disintegrating his Aura and catching his breath.

" _You okay?"_ the Cave Pokemon asked.

" _Never been better. Use Draco Meteor!"_

The Trainer turned around to where his Pikachu and Jolteon stood, electrocuting opponents. " _Pikachu, Vivi! Get back into the building. Raid and destroy what you see fit, then come back out as soon as possible!"_

" _Okay, Ash!"_

" _On it."_

Talonflame let out a screech of victory as she dropped an unconscious grunt on the ground next to her Trainer. Red immediately took out a red cable tie. Charizard followed her, bringing in his own Rocket grunt.

"Rhydon, Takedown," Giovanni commanded.

"Use Psychic one more time!" Blue shouted at his Umbreon.

"Thunderbolt!"

Blue held out his Dark-Type's Pokeball, returning it before the attack could hit. "Electivire!" he called out. "I need your help!"

The Electric-Type ran to his Trainer's side, ready to battle. At the sight of the Team Rocket Boss, he narrowed his eyes.

Giovanni chuckled at the Type disadvantage. To him, the naivety in front of him was almost humorous.

"Electivire, Iron Tail!"

"Dodge," Giovanni commanded, surprised to see that the attack was able to connect with Rhydon's right leg. His eyes widened as he remembered Electivire's Motor Drive, which rendered Thunderbolt useless.

"Earthquake."

"Jump with Iron Tail! Land on Rhydon!"

"Shake him off!" the Team Rocket Boss commanded.

"Finish with Giga Impact!"

The explosion of the attack sent dust flying across the area like a Sand Attack. Red took the opportunity to pass out berries to some of his tired Pokemon before his opponent's vision cleared.

"Hmph," Giovanni spoke up. "Nidoking, come forth."

"Thunder!" Blue shouted.

The attack hit, blinding the Poison and Ground-Type. Otherwise, the Drill Pokemon didn't even flinch.

"Ice Punch!"

"Poison Sting."

The swarm of needles was quickly avoided by Electivire but was aimed straight at the Gym Leader instead. Blue pursed his lips disapprovingly as he realized the intent of the attack.

Giovanni expected his opponent to dodge, but the cloaked figure did not move an inch as the attack was seemingly absorbed as if it hadn't existed in the first place.

"Psychic," Blue commanded without hesitation.

Immediately, chunks of loose rock and concrete levitated from the ground, throwing themselves at the Drill Pokemon. The Poison-Type was able to dodge most of the attacks, but a few particularly large boulders hit, causing Nidoking to wince at the improvised Ground and Psychic attack. Giovanni returned his Pokemon immediately.

"Rhydon," he called out his first Pokemon. Apparently, it hadn't fainted from the earlier Giga Impact.

"Electivire, Iron Tail!"

"Take it."

The attack hit, but the Pokemon didn't seem to feel it. Did Giovanni use a Full Restore…? Or was it just the sheer power of the former Viridian City Gym Leader?

"Rhydon, Mega Punch."

"Move away with Hyper Beam!"

"Horn Drill."

Blue's eyes widened as the feared move got closer. Rhydon's horn cut through the Hyper Beam like it was just an annoyance.

"Return your Electivire!" Red shouted in his mind.

"Electivire, Hyper Beam! Maximum power!" the Trainer instructed, ignoring the warning of his friend. If he could just get that KO...

Horn Drill hit its mark.

So did Hyper Beam.

Both Pokemon immediately fainted, and the gleam in the Rocket's eyes told the Gym Leader exactly who he was going to use last.

"Umbreon, I need your help one last time," the Viridian Gym Leader called out desperately.

"Persian, destroy them."

The Classy Cat Pokemon appeared from its Ultra Ball with a devious grin.

" _You can do this,"_ Mega Mewtwo X encouraged from above. The fighting Trainer looked up, and immediately, a thankful smile appeared on his face. The Psychic-Type may not have known why the battle was so important to Blue, but the teen felt as if he hadn't earned his Gym Leader position—yet.

Blue was on par with Giovanni. No, he knew that the Team Rocket Boss was stronger than he was. Did strength in a Pokemon Battle lead to political power? Or was it the other way around? Without his gramps, the Gym Leader doubted that he would've been as competent as he was in battle today.

"Shadow Ball!"

Giovanni looked up, seeing the Mega Mewtwo X as the Pokemon proceeded to crash two helicopters against each other. "Psychic," he commanded.

" _Be careful,"_ Red called out, throwing away a Raticate that had latched onto his left arm with a Bite. " _Persian don't normally learn Psychic."_

The Gym Leader knew that Psychic-Type moves were ineffective against his Umbreon. The Dark-Type was immune to them. So why—

"Blue! Look out!" Red screamed in his mind before he could finish his train of thought. Umbreon looked back at his Trainer for instructions, realizing that Mewtwo's beams of energy had been deflected using Persian's Psychic—towards Blue himself.

"Bree-bree!" the Dark-Type yelled, dashing over to his Trainer.

Before the Moonlight Pokemon could throw himself in front of the attack, his Trainer pushed him aside sacrificially.

An explosion commenced.

Blue fell to the hard, unwelcoming dirt…

* * *

 **AN: Well then. Have a nice day.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Happy New Year! I couldn't just leave you guys with a dead Gary Oak, so instead, I'll leave on a slightly happier mark (nonono, please don't hate on me...)**

 **So consider this a New Years present from me!**

* * *

"I win," Giovanni finally spoke with an amused smile. The Team Rocket Boss continued to stare at Red, whose unnaturally-colored eyes hadn't blinked once. "Listen to my terms. I want you and your friend to show me your faces…"

The Team Rocket Boss's voice faltered as he realized that the cloaked figure hadn't objected. Instead, the teen just stared at the man for a few more seconds before walking calmly towards his fallen friend and kneeling at his feet. A hand was placed on the fallen figure's head as if he was checking for a fever.

Gallade Teleported next to his Trainer and faced the Team Rocket Boss. " _You did not win,"_ he spoke up with telepathy. " _His Pokemon is still able to fight."_

Giovanni's smirk increased. "You will fight in his place?" he inquired, facing the silent teen. "How considerate of you. Fine. Let's continue, shall we?"

" _Don't answer him,"_ Red instructed his Gallade. " _He's getting on my nerves, and I don't want to be provoked."_

" _You're funny when you're serious, sir."_

" _Thanks. You too."_

The Trainer examined his friend's unmoving body. He hadn't noticed it before, but the pendant that Blue had always worn around his neck had shattered, and a glowing, blue liquid had begun to soak into his shirt. One of Red's fingers brushed against the chemical, stinging him.

The Trainer stood up, wiping the substance on his pant leg, and faced the Team Rocket Boss with an irritated stare.

"Umbreon, are you up for this?" he whispered aloud to the Dark-Type.

" _I...I will fight,"_ the Moonlight Pokemon declared shakily.

Mega Mewtwo X descended to the ground, letting his feet touch the rocky soil. Without a word, he reverted to his original form and stood next to Red's form.

" _Mewtwo, don't worry,"_ the Trainer assured him. " _Just get Blue out of the fight."_

"No, it is not that," the Psychic-Type replied, shaking his head. His voice held no remorse, to the surprise of the young Trainer. In fact, he seemed to be a bit...startled, if anything else.

"What is it?" Red asked.

"I sense...something new."

"You were going to get revenge, weren't you?" a familiar, playful voice joked.

Blue smirked, jumping to his feet. "Umbreon, Hyper Beam!" he shouted.

Upon hearing the call of his Trainer, the Moonlight Pokemon charged with renewed energy.

Giovanni cleared his throat. "Persian, use Swift."

"Retaliate with Bite."

"Dark Pulse!"

Red let his eyes wander around, seeing a pile of unconscious grunts in need of red cable ties. Next to him, Gallade bowed dramatically and Teleported away.

"Nasty Plot, and Slash."

"Moonlight. Then Protect!"

An Ekans bit Red in the leg. He let out a shout in agony, before slamming a palm to his mouth when he realized that he wasn't supposed to talking (or speaking any coherent sound, for that matter). His other arm was used to throw the Poison-Type across the field as best as he could.

Persian had been called back, and Nidoking had been sent out.

"Toxic."

"Dodge!"

Black sludge just slightly missed the tip of Umbreon's tail. The Dark-Type narrowed his eyes at the Poison-Type. Defiance was clearly imprinted on his face.

Red winced as a Houndour burned off the tips of his hair with a Flamethrower. He was tired from using his Aura excessively but knew that being tired was better than being hurt—badly. The Trainer wondered how Blue was still able to battle (Mewtwo's psychic attacks were powerful), but a persistent horde of Rattata pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

"Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge."

Fortunately, Nidoking had sustained too much damage. As the attack hit, the Poison and Ground-Type dropped to the ground with a thud.

"Persian, Slash."

"Toxic!"

"Dodge and use Fury Swipes."

Why hadn't Pikachu and Vivi come back yet? Where were they?

"Umbreon, Hyper Beam!"

"Persian, Hyper Beam!"

Both attacks hit their target, causing a giant explosion followed by a cloud of smoke that enveloped the Trainers and their Pokemon. The echo of the blast made Blue's ears ring.

"Umbreon, are you alright?" the Gym Leader called out.

"Bree...bree…"

"Umbreon!"

Blue knew that he'd pushed his Pokemon to their limit. His three powerhouses were completely exhausted. The Researcher realized with a start that Giovanni never meant to win—he couldn't care less—the Team Rocket Boss just wanted to keep Blue preoccupied, as well as weaken the teen's Pokemon to the point where they were unable to battle.

As the smoke cleared, Umbreon and Persian were left staring at each other with hateful eyes. It was no longer a battle of skill and strength, but one of sheer willpower and determination. The two opponents' legs quivered and shook, and neither the Normal-Type nor the Dark-Type would let themselves fall.

Until Giovanni turned his back on the battle.

Umbreon's eyes widened. The gesture broke his concentration, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. A split second later, Persian had also fainted.

He'd lost, but the Team Rocket Boss didn't care for the results.

" _Blue!"_ Red shouted into his mind.

More helicopters had appeared, and the two Trainers were running out of cable ties.

" _Blue…"_

" _It was for the right of the Viridian Gym,"_ the Gym Leader snapped back.

" _..."_

" _What, did I do something?"_

The other Trainer hesitated. " _Blue, uh...cover your mouth with one hand,"_ he instructed.

" _I don't under—oh. Wow. Um…"_

Mewtwo floated toward the Gym Leader with a small smile on his face. " _I see,"_ he said. " _Your amulet was built to absorb long-ranged attacks."_

" _How did you—"_

The Psychic-Type ignored the teen's outburst. " _And when it could not absorb any more power, your little charm exploded and caused the absorbed power to leak."_

Sceptile dashed over to the group of Trainers, eyeing Giovanni hesitantly. " _I think there was this medical book I was reading about accepting external substances into your body. When you drink, like, poison, your brain can either accept it as harmless or try to kill it off with—"_

" _I found another body, sir,"_ Gallade interrupted as he Teleported in.

" _Thanks,"_ Red replied, taking out another red cable tie.

" _So...I absorbed the Psychic attack?"_ Blue asked, looking down at his cloak and shirt, where the liquid had miraculously dried up.

" _Now you can't call me magic anymore,"_ the Aura adept remarked jocularly. " _You're basically using Telepathy right now."_

" _Ha ha. Is your Sceptile always like that?"_

" _Yeah. You'll get used to it."_

"That's nice," the Gym Leader replied aloud. Together, they watched the Team Rocket Boss fly off into the distance on his floating platform.

"He knows," Red whispered aloud.

"Knows what?"

 _"You can't defeat an interregional organization by trashing their base. There's a lot of politics involved. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Team Rocket grunts got bailed from prison. Kanto wouldn't be used to the rise in crime rates."_

"I see," the other Trainer replied. "Lance probably wouldn't be able to handle the unemployment rates, either. Then our stocks will crash, Unova wouldn't want to trade with us, and we'd get into another war with Johto for complete independence. It'd be stupid to try to defeat Team Rocket when they have control over Silph Co., especially without a position in the government."

Red laughed. _"We discuss politics way too often."_

Blue shrugged. "It's useful. Plus, _I_ have that role in the government, thank you very much."

 _"A small, insignificant one."_

" _You're_ insignificant."

 _"You know,"_ Sceptile spoke up, using Leaf Blade to slash through an Energy Ball, _"there are still more Rockets trying to kill us. We just might need some of your help."_

"Alright," the Pokemon Researcher replied. "Time to test if I can make a sweet blade like yours."

They promptly charged.

* * *

"Umbreon, Shadow Ball!"

" _Got it."_

"Not to be rude or anything, but how do I understand you?" Gary asked his Pokemon, perplexed. "You're a Dark-Type, and telepathy is basically Psychic-Type, right?"

Sceptile dashed by, stopping at the Gym Leader's feet to pick up something he'd dropped. "' _Psychic-Type' and 'psychic' are two different things,"_ he remarked before running off with a Quick Attack.

" _What he said, I think,"_ the Dark-Type answered. " _I don't think I can understand telepathy—or Telepathy the move—in general, but you can understand me because your power applies to all Pokemon, despite their Type. You think you'll stop understanding a Gyarados if it Mega Evolves?"_

"I don't know." Telepathy was a move, but Telepathy was also an ability. And telepathy was not a move, nor an ability, but something that some Pokemon knew…somehow. Maybe he should switch his field of research—again.

Darnit, Arceus. _This_ was the reason he still wasn't considered a Pokemon Professor yet.

Red appeared, blocking an Energy Ball from hitting his friend. " _I knew a Zorua that could use telepathy. They're Dark-Types, right?"_

"What's a Zorua?"

" _Oh. Uh, I'll explain later."_ The Aura adept blocked another attack with a swing of his makeshift energy-sword.

" _You can ask Sceptile,"_ Umbreon suggested. " _We compare research notes all the time, and in my opinion, he'd be a great lab partner."_

"Thanks," the Gym Leader replied, then turned his head to face the other Trainer. "Red, how did you get such a smart Pokemon?"

" _Like Trainer, like Pokemon."_

"There are always anomalies in data, you know," the Researcher joked. "I think you're a big one."

" _Heh. Go back to your Gym,_ _Gary Oak_ _."_

The Gym Leader smirked. "You're disrespecting a _government official_."

A barrier of Aura blocked a Hyper Fang that almost collided with Blue's face.

"Be careful," Red warned, whispering softly.

The other Trainer nodded, and began to concentrate, imagining a long, narrow concentration of mental strength. When he refocused into the battle, the psychic ducked under a Rock Throw and charged at a Graveler, using levitation to propel him forward. Although the blade of blue energy disintegrated due to the lack of concentration, Blue was still able to hit the Rock and Ground-Type, making it stumble backward.

" _Not too shabby,"_ Red commented as the other Pallet Town Trainer appeared, punching the Rock Pokemon away with an Aura-infused fist.

"You're just saying that because it took you at least a month to form an Aura Sphere, yet I'm already hitting things."

" _No…that's not it…"_

* * *

" _Rhydon, Horn Drill at all the machines!"_ Gary instructed, pointing at the Mega Mewtwo Y that was throwing helicopters and cargo planes onto the ground.

" _On it!"_

Blue let his telepathy spread throughout the entire battlefield, targeting his Pokemon team. " _Nidoking, Nidoqueen, use Poison Sting and let Alakazam finish it! Fearow, follow Talonflame, and Dodrio, with me! Use Hyper Beam to crash helicopters into each other! Everyone else, come here for medicine!"_

"Do you need a berry?" he asked his Dark-Type, who bumped into him and crashed on the ground.

" _Yes, please."_ The Moonlight Pokemon was still feeling exhausted from battling Giovanni but had refused to stop battling afterward.

" _I have Revives for your Pokemon,"_ Red spoke up, holding two spiky pieces of medicine in the palm of one of his hands.

"Red," the Gym Leader addressed his friend with an exasperated look, "no good Trainer leaves home without an arsenal of Max Revives. In fact, I would have my own, but my Gym was burned down, remember?" He snatched the medicine from his friend. "Thanks, though. I'm sure someone will need it."

There was a period of silence after that statement, for Ash had realized that a particularly large Hyper Beam was about to hit his unaware Charizard and Sceptile. The Trainer jumped in front of the attack, only to be swung away by his Grass-Type's massive tail…

Red crashed onto the ground, arm outstretched in an attempt to stop the attack. The hood of his cloak had fallen off, revealing wide eyes and a desperate expression.

Tendrils of multicolored light flashed before his eyes.

Sceptile and Charizard had Mega Evolved.

* * *

" _According to my research, this is completely impossible—"_

" _Will you stop it?!"_ Mega Charizard X asked. " _You're ruining the fun!"_ A Flamethrower rivaling the power of Ho-oh burned several Helicopters at once, making the Fire and Dragon-Type marvel at his own sheer power.

" _I was going to say that it was impossible unless the energy signature of Mega Stones is similar—or the same, for that matter—to the signature of Aura."_ A Leaf Storm encompassed the sky and erupted, blowing away helicopters and crashing them to the ground.

" _You weren't going to say that."_

" _Charizard, Sceptile!"_ Red called out to his Pokemon as he put his hood back on. " _Be sure not to kill anyone! I still have some cable ties that need to be used, you know, and we don't need a death count on us when we call Officer Jenny,"_ the Pokemon Trainer warned.

" _Gotcha."_

" _I understand."_

At that moment, Pikachu and Vivi sprinted out of the building, panting.

" _What's up?"_ Gabite asked, munching on an Oran Berry.

" _Duck!"_ Pikachu exclaimed.

The entire building exploded. Pieces of debris flew over the heads of both Humans and Pokemon, raining down on everyone within a hundred feet of the blast zone.

" _Did something happen?"_ Red asked. Gabite had raised a powerful Protect, making a shield around his Team like an umbrella.

" _Yeah,"_ the Espeon replied sheepishly, dropping a sack of items at her Trainer's feet. " _Pikachu touched something."_

" _That was_ _not_ _me. You saw it yourself."_

The Psychic-Type giggled.

" _Alright,"_ the Trainer spoke up as soon as the last of the debris crashed into a helicopter. " _Let's move your loot to a corner where no one can take it."_

" _On it, sir,"_ Gallade replied, Teleporting in, grabbing the sack, and Teleporting out.

The Trainer turned to the sky, where even more reinforcements were coming in. Blue was down to his last Full Restore (whatever those were), and all the Pokemon were tired. Red gave his last Oran Berry to Gabite as everyone else dispersed to destroy more helicopters. Even the Cave Pokemon could see beads of sweat running down his Trainer's face from the effort of keeping up two Mega Evolutions (there was a reason that no one Mega Evolved two Pokemon at once), as well as an Aura Sight to scan for more uninvited enemies.

" _You alright?"_ the Dragon and Ground-Type asked.

" _Yeah, I'm fi—"_

Sharp claws scraped his hands, tearing his gloves as well as bits of flesh from his palms. The Trainer winced and tried to prevent another attack from the angry-looking Meowth (not the talking one), but found that he had lost all concentration. Crimson liquid bled into the fabric of his gloves, and Ash felt his Aura Sight fade to blackness. He opened his eyes and dropped to his knees.

Gabite kneeled down to his Trainer. " _Re—Ash! What…"_

A group of Team Rocket's Pokemon had gathered around the teen from a distance, ready to attack. Zubat swarmed above him excitedly, a group of Rattata crouched on the ground, and many Koffing floated in the air, laughing loudly at the sight. A Grimer shouted something, and the Pokemon began to advance, slowly but surely.

Gabite narrowed his eyes. Then, with a sacrificial mind and a loyal heart, he flung himself in front of his Trainer, releasing a powerful Draco Meteor that smashed adjacent Pokemon to the ground. Suddenly, he was badly poisoned by a Toxic, but that didn't stop him from holding up a weak Protect as the last of his HP dropped to a dangerous level.

"Gabite…" Ash muttered.

"Syl-veon!" Vivi shouted as she let out a Disarming Voice. Beside her, a normal Charizard roared, and launched a Blast Burn powerful enough to rival its Mega Evolved power.

Just as a powerful Hyper Beam tore through Gabite's Protect, a bright flash of light blinded everyone in the vicinity.

Garchomp glared at the surrounding Pokemon and used Draco Meteor. The power of his attack became a symbol of the bond between the dragon and his Trainer. With another flash of light, he promptly Mega-Evolved and used Roar.

"Ow…" Ash muttered aloud. His vision started to blur and the world started to spin. The Trainer didn't understand how he could take Flamethrowers and Thunderbolts with ease but had become weak when a simple Scratch scraped up his hands.

"Red!" Gary exclaimed in horror as he ran up to his friend. "What happened?!"

" _Nothing. I'm just a bit disoriented right now…"_

"No. You're not okay. Have you seen yourself?"

" _I,"_ the Pokemon Trainer joked as he winced at the pain, " _don't usually look at myself in the mirror."_

Vivi ran over, wrapping her ribbon feelers around her Trainer's bleeding hands. Almost instantly, Ash sighed in relief and lifted himself up from the ground.

" _Ash?"_ the Sylveon asked.

" _Yes?"_

" _Are you okay?"_

" _I'm fine."_

" _Stop lying, Ash."_

Gary surveyed the scene. "Our forces are getting tired, and the sun is rising. Even though we're pretty strong, we can't survive for long, especially with you...looking like that."

" _Mewtwo seems fine,"_ Red remarked.

"He's a Legendary. Plus, their Mewtwo trap is long overdue. Didn't you tell me something about a...Type Glass, right?"

" _Yeah, you're right. Do we retreat?"_

"Let's do that," Gary decided. " _Mewtwo, one final wave!"_ he shouted, using telepathy.

The Legendary Pokemon nodded in understanding and began a Psychic attack on the minds of the remaining Team Rocket Helicopters. Using a spoon-shaped weapon of psychic energy, he dragged both Humans and Pokemon out of the machines, dropping them in a large crater formed by Garchomp's Draco Meteor—with a mere thought.

At the sight of more helicopters coming from the horizon, the Psychic-Type bowed his head in thanks to the young Trainers and Teleported all their team members (and the sack of raided items) back to the cave they were staying in. With another flash of light, Mewtwo was gone.

All of the Pokemon and Humans collapsed on the freezing cave floor in exhaustion. Even Charizard had succumbed to the power of gravity.

Gary suddenly lifted himself to his feet, grunting in exhaustion. He hadn't slept all night.

"I'll be right back," he promised, taking off his cloak and giving it to a tired Umbreon to use as a blanket. "I need to bring the Gym Leaders back to civilization."

"But you died in a fire," Ash retorted.

"I'll find a way to blame it on Team Rocket," the Gym Leader assured. With a flash of Teleport, he was gone, leaving only the wind behind him.

* * *

 **AN: So instead of Gary dying, Ash can! Woohoo!**

 **(*Runs to bomb shelter*)**

 **(*Looks outside*)**

 **(*Sees no one*)**

 **Whew! Looks like the coast is clear!**

 **To be honest, I was planning to upload this chapter today because I may or may not be able to update this weekend due to a competition coming up and whatnot. Plus, I really want to get Part 2 over with so I can get to Part 3 (and be done with part of it 'cause it's so tedious!).**

 **Woohoo! Chapter 20!**

 **Iku Ze!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry for the late update. I had a competition. And a clinic. And a concert. I know, I'm so good at excuses, right? Anyway, I was a bit iffy on this chapter. I didn't know how to introduce this weird idea I had back when I first wrote this. Tell me how I do (comment, please), and if you need any more explaining, it'll probably be out next week.**

 **Heehee, I missed you guys.**

* * *

Pidgeot shivered. Where did her flock go?

Their scent was fresh, and piles of snow clustered around bare trees.

The Normal and Flying-Type narrowed her eyes. Pokemon had been resting on the branches.

Were the hatchlings okay?

Was _Ash_ okay?

* * *

" _We're almost there!"_ Swellow cheered.

" _I doubt it,"_ Tauros muttered. " _Watch there be another peak behind this one—oh, there it is."_

Noivern held a claw to his mouth in an attempt to suppress his giggles.

By then, everyone on the team had developed a resistance to the cold, even the young Dragon and Flying-Type.

* * *

A wave of exhaustion flooded over Ash as he attempted to drag the ransacked loot to a corner of the cave. The Trainer was incredibly dizzy, even with Vivi in Sylveon form holding his wounds close with her ribbons. In the end, Garchomp had to walk over and carry the bag for the teen.

Charizard and Sceptile had collapsed on the cavern floor, and the Fire and Flying-Type was fast asleep. His teammate laid on the ground next to him, jotting down notes in a foreign Pokemon alphabet and muttering to himself.

Garchomp helped his Trainer lean on Charizard's back, and moved the giant lizard's wing to rest above the teen, who smiled as the Dragon and Ground-Type tucked him into the warm, makeshift blanket.

"Congrats of the evolution," the Trainer complemented the pseudo-legendary. From his spot on the floor, Sceptile winked at the newly-evolved Pokemon, and the dragon immediately nodded back, face gleaming at the approval.

Talonflame suddenly flew into the cave, carrying a large roll of white gauze in her beak. She landed next to her team, dropping the fabric at Vivi's feet.

" _Thanks,"_ the Sylveon spoke up. With her spare ribbons, she immediately started to patch up the Trainer's hands.

Talonflame turned to Garchomp. " _How do you feel?"_ the Kalosian Pokemon asked her teammate.

" _You should be asking Ash that question,"_ the Mach Pokemon replied.

"I'm fi—"

" _Your pulse is fast,"_ Sylveon commented, wrapping ribbon feeler around her Trainer's arm to keep him from squirming. " _Pidgeot says that Humans never admit when they are sick."_

"Don't listen to Pidgeot. Plus, I'm not sick," Ash retorted.

" _I'm letting go of your—"_

"Ah! Please, no!"

" _Told you."_

"When did you get such a sassy attitude?" the teen asked, exasperated.

" _Pikachu says—"_

"Don't listen to anything Pikachu says either, please."

" _Okay."_

" _Did you say something?"_ the Electric-Type asked, yawning loudly from the other side of Charizard.

"Go back to sleep."

" _Ash, you get weirdly defensive when you're in pain,"_ Pikachu remarked.

The Trainer cowered under the glares of his Pokemon.

Sceptile walked over to the gathered group. " _Ash, are you perchance moving your Aura out of your hands?"_

"Yeah. Uh...Aura doesn't compress well."

" _Alright. I need to get to the library,"_ Sceptile announced. " _I wasn't able to find anything in Viridian, Mahogany, and Goldenrod, but…" he paused, "I think I can find what I need in Canalave City."_

Garchomp narrowed his eyes. " _But that's in Sinnoh,"_ he muttered loud enough for his teammates to hear.

" _You can fly,"_ Pikachu suggested.

" _So can you."_

" _Please. Magnet Rise only works for like five minutes before I need to concentrate on using it again. Plus, it's exhausting."_

"Does that mean I can use it in battle?" Ash asked.

" _No."_

" _He threw up last time,"_ Sceptile remarked.

" _You shoved me off a mountain!"_ Pikachu retorted.

" _I think we're waking up Charizard,"_ Garchomp commented.

The Flame Pokemon's snores grew louder.

Vivi snickered. " _We're getting off topic,"_ she mentioned with a whisper.

" _Well said,"_ the Forest Pokemon agreed. " _I heard that Canalave City's libraries have old myths in them. If I can get there, maybe there'll be something on Aura."_

The Sylveon started to laugh.

" _What's so funny?"_ Garchomp asked.

" _We forgot that Gallade can use Teleport!"_ she exclaimed. Around her, groans awoke some of Gary's Pokemon.

* * *

By the time Gallade and Sceptile were back, the late afternoon had set upon the Johto Mountain Range. Most of the Pokemon had woken up by then and were enjoying a meal or playing a card game (Ash was pretty sure it was 'Artic-UNO' or something like that).

" _Hey,"_ Pikachu greeted his teammates.

" _Hey yourself,"_ Sceptile replied, ignoring how his teammate stuck his tongue out at the Hoenn Starter Pokemon. Gallade collapsed next to him, groaning about long-distance traveling.

"Did you find anything?" Ash asked. A small grimace could be seen on the teen's face, even though it was obvious that he was trying his best to hide it.

The Grass-Type shrugged _. "Yeah. By the way, I'm pretty sure you made a fatal mistake, so next time, get someone to teach you."_

"Awesome."

" _How long have you been trying to hold all your Aura in?"_ Sceptile asked.

"Uh, a few hours or so…"

" _No wonder you're sweating like that,"_ the Forest Pokemon remarked. " _I think you should be dead by now."_

"Thanks, doc," Ash grumbled.

Charizard, who was still supporting his Trainer, yawned. " _Just get to the point already. He's been shivering since noon."_

" _Shivering?"_

"Just tell me how this works, Sceptile," Ash insisted.

" _Oh. My bad,"_ the Grass-Type apologized. " _Okay. Apparently, one's Aura signature resembles the host."_

"I knew that already," the Trainer spoke up. "You have a green Aura and Charizard has a red one."

" _Are you claustrophobic?"_ Sceptile asked.

"No."

" _He hates being confined,"_ Pikachu revealed, walking over and sitting on his Trainer's lap.

" _Your Aura is the same,"_ the Grass-Type explained, taking out his notebook. " _I guess it's also hard-headed, self-sacrificing, and very stubborn, too. Do you know how to stop the flow of Aura?"_

"I—"

" _Oh wait, you'll probably kill yourself. Uh…can you make a displacement for your Aura to settle in?"_

"I mean—"

Pikachu's eyes lit up _. "His Talonflame wings! That'll do."_

Sceptile frowned. " _It's pretty risky, but I guess you could try it. Ash, make wings."_

"Do I have to? I actually hate—"

" _Ash,"_ Charizard muttered, " _you should get off of me before you do it."_

"Oh, sorry." the Trainer apologized. With a grunt, he shakily stood up, immediately grabbing onto his Grass-Type for support. Charizard rose next and stretched in satisfaction.

Ash concentrated, and a few seconds later, two glowing appendages had grown from his back. Immediately, the teen felt his entire body relax and sighed in relief as most of his pain ebbed away.

" _I think he feels better,"_ Vivi commented as she greeted her Trainer. " _What do you think, Gardevoir?"_

" _He's definitely relaxing,"_ the Embrace Pokemon replied, closing his eyes. " _Uh, there's a bit of relief, a lot of sleepiness, and he's also thinking about using my ability to sense prominent emotions in battle."_

"How did you know that last part?" the Trainer asked.

" _I guessed."_

* * *

" _Hey, I'll be outside,"_ Vivi announced, turning into an Eevee when she saw that there wasn't much to do, and went to watch Gallade practice martial arts at the mouth of the cave. Ash, Pikachu, Sceptile, Talonflame, Garchomp, and a cranky Arcanine were the only ones left in the area.

" _Your Aura has a large concentration in your hands,"_ Sceptile was explaining. " _That's why they were so vulnerable to attacks."_

Pikachu frowned. " _His palms have always been like that. I'm pretty sure he's fainted from having his hands stepped on. And that was_ _years_ _ago."_

" _That's actually pretty funny,"_ Garchomp commented with a grin.

"I don't remember that."

" _Maybe we don't notice it because you wear gloves all the time,"_ the Grass-Type surmised. " _Why do you even wear them? It's not like it's a fashion statement for Trainers."_

"May wears them. I think that Ritchie guy did too…"

" _And Alain,"_ Pikachu added.

"Plus, they're cool."

" _Maybe the reason why your Aura is so concentrated is because you wear gloves,"_ Sceptile hypothesized. " _We could test that, you know, with—"_

" _I'll be outside, practicing my speed."_ Talonflame interrupted.

" _Don't you have a social life?"_ Pikachu asked.

" _I do, it's just that my dive against a Koffing didn't go as well as I hoped."_

When the Fire and Flying-Type left the cave, Pikachu rolled his eyes. " _This is what I had to deal with throughout_ _all_ _of Kalos,"_ he complained. " _At least Hawlucha isn't here. He'd make Ash get up at 4 am to train or something."_

" _Doesn't he already do that?"_ Sceptile asked.

The Fire and Flying-Type flew out of the area, and Pikachu rolled his eyes. " _This is what I had to deal with throughout all of Kalos,"_ he muttered to the rest of them. " _At least Hawlucha isn't here. He'd be up at 4 am in the morning, urging Ash to make all of us start combat training or something."_

" _You haven't told us how you got rid of Team Flare in Kalos,"_ Garchomp brought up, urging Pikachu for a story.

" _Oh, so you want to hear about how Ash and Greninja were all like…Arceus, it's a long story. At least it wasn't Unova, where the air messed with all my electric currents. I officially hate Zekrom now, and Volt Tackle just…didn't work anymore. Thank Arceus Ash bothered to check to see that I just couldn't work in Unova air…"_

Garchomp knew that Pikachu was getting off topic but honestly didn't care. He enjoyed the Electric-Type's stories either way. A huge part of the Dragon and Ground-Type missed the adventures he had with Ash when he was still a Gible, and he'd become nostalgic whenever he was reminded of the fun he had with his Trainer.

" _And don't get me started on Ash's team. There was the lovesick Oshawott..."_

* * *

"Guys!" a voice cried out. "Are you okay?!"

"Gary!" Misty exclaimed, surprised at the sight of the newest Kanto Gym Leader running up to catch them. "Did Team Rocket get you too?"

"Yeah. I was in some kind of plane or something, but it got knocked out of the sky. I found myself here. Can I join you guys? I'm trying to get back to civilization, but it's not working too well."

"That is what we are trying to do here as well," Cilan replied with a genuine smile. "Say, does anyone feel hungry? I think we can stir up some—"

"No, it's fine. I can cook," Brock offered.

" _You_ can cook?! We'll see about tha—" Chili started, but was shushed by his brother Cress with a calm but annoyed look.

"Why don't we stop for the night? It'll be easier to navigate when the sun rises again," Norman suggested. He missed his family but knew that he had to stay calm. Pryce nodded to him, and the two older men walked to the front of the group.

Gary scratched his head. "So no one has any Pokemon with them?"

"Nope," Erika sighed, thinking of her precious team back at the Gym, as well as the poor girls that would have to stand up against people like Brock…

The Viridian City Gym Leader watched as everyone in the group contributed to a makeshift campfire with wood and leaves.

As Gary returned to the campsite with an old pail of water (a wild Vulpix had helped him find one), he found Brock sitting on a nearby stone, trying to calculate the time and distance away from the nearest city.

"Hey Brock," he called to the older teen. "Why are you here instead of Forrest? I thought he was the official Gym Leader."

The Rock-Type Trainer laughed. "Yeah, Forrest should've been taken, but I took over the Gym for the week. My brother was in the middle of the aftereffects of his first rejection."

"His first of many," Gary muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Oh. Nothing."

"Gary," a feminine voice spoke up from behind him. The Viridian Gym Leader turned around, seeing Sabrina from Saffron City. Beside her, the Vulpix that had helped him earlier had a giant grin on its face. All six of its tails were wagging excitedly.

" _I'm so glad I was able to be helpful to this lady. Maybe these nice people are Trainers. I'll make them battle me, and maybe a strong one will catch me!"_

"Hi, Sabrina," Gary greeted the other Gym Leader. "What's up?"

"I need to talk with you."

The young teen hoped that his worry didn't seem too obvious. "Okay," he replied, then turned to Brock. "Can you excuse us? We'll just be around these woods."

"No problem. thanks for getting us some water."

When the two Gym Leaders were out of hearing range, Sabrina turned to the young teen.

"Gary Oak, why aren't you running a Psychic-Type Gym?"

"Because you're already the Psychic-Type Gym Leader in Kanto…?" the Pallet Town Trainer replied, unsure of what to say.

" _That's not what I meant,"_ the Saffron City Trainer spoke using telepathy, smiling slightly. " _You know what I mean. Your grandfather doesn't have psychic power. How do you?"_

" _It's a long story, Sabrina,"_ the other Gym Leader replied, also using telepathy. " _I'm sure you can get it out of my mind somehow."_ This made the other psychic user laugh aloud. " _But…can you train me to become better? I've just...realized my Psychic affinity recently, so I'm not as confident as I should be."_

" _You seemed confident when you teleported in."_

" _I mean, it's pretty easy compared to…reading minds or something. Why haven't you teleported the Gym Leaders out?"_ Gary asked. Beside him, Vulpix stared at the two Humans in confusion. Why weren't they talking?

" _It is better for them to think that I can't do it. Plus, I have a feeling they like the experience of being lost, and maybe even miss it. Aren't some of these people old companions of Ash Ketchum, probably the greatest Pokemon Master—ever?"_

"He's not a Pokemon Master," Gary replied aloud, laughing.

"Oh really? Huh. That must be the future, then. Arceus, even my own powers confuse me sometimes."

"Wait. About your point earlier…yeah, they _did_ travel with him," the Viridian Gym Leader realized.

" _I'm surprised that you've been able to keep this conversation going for so long,"_ Sabrina noted _. "Most psychic-users can barely bend a spoon. You didn't get your affinity through lineage or genetics, right?"_

" _Well, actually…"_

* * *

" _Ash, you're not resting,"_ Talonflame observed.

"I'm trying to," came a sore reply.

" _You're too tense,"_ Garchomp added in helpfully.

" _Sir, I require you to relax,"_ Gallade's proper, formal voice chastised the Trainer.

" _Ash, you're trying too hard,"_ Pikachu remarked with an annoyed tone, although overwrought eyes gave the impression that he was worried.

" _I find it funny that he's still shivering. Is that bad?"_ Charizard asked, letting his Trainer rest on a wing.

" _Of course it's bad,"_ Sceptile replied. " _You're a Fire-Type, and he's not reacting to the heat you give off—"_

" _Yes, I do agree that I'm fashionably hot."_

" _That was not what I-"_

"Guys, I'm fine," Ash muttered. The entire group tensed up (except for Talonflame, who was new), but relaxed as they realized that Pidgeot wasn't present to correct Ash's views on feminism.

" _You're focusing too much,"_ Ash's Grass-Type pointed out. " _Sooner or later, those wings will look pretty real from the amount of your life force you're focusing on them."_

"They're Aura constructs, not wings."

" _You're incredibly stubborn, you know?"_ Pikachu asked.

"Wings are biological."

" _Aura is biological,"_ Sceptile retorted with a smirk.

"Screw you."

The Electric-Type crossed his paws. " _And there he goes, becoming all defensive like that when he's vulnerable."_

"Pikachu, I am going to take away your ketchup supply."

" _That's absurd! A form of abuse! Pokemon Lives Matte—"_

" _How do you even find all this information?"_ Talonflame spoke up, interrupting her distraught teammate.

" _He looks in Professor Oak's database, then the library,"_ Vivi answered. " _Then he just knows. I think I want to be like Sceptile when I'm older."_

" _That's nice,"_ Charizard grumbled.

" _He's smart."_

Garchomp, who still was new to his evolution, stumbled a bit as he started to laugh. The young Eevee was either one of the most intelligent Pokemon to walk the earth _—_ or just plain naive, and the Mach Pokemon was willing to believe that it was the former.

* * *

"I'm not dead—that's the good part," Ash announced. "The Aura has stopped trying to flow into my palms, but now I can't feel them…which is a problem that we can fix, right?"

" _Well, it should take some time for your hands to heal fully, and not just physically, but on the Aura scale as well,"_ the Grass-Type informed the Trainer. " _Then, you can let all the pressure out of your wings and they'll probably disappear."_

"Good. Well, that settles life. And they're Aura constructs, not wings!"

Arcanine cocked her head at the scene. Pikachu was sitting next to her, relaxing from a night of worry.

" _I like how he's not fazed at all that he had almost died, and then—"_

" _He's already died before. Honestly, it'll just get Xerneas mad at him or something. Next thing you know, he befriended another Legendary Pokemon."_

 _"True,"_ the Legendary Pokemon (the species) agreed.

 _"I'm kinda glad he hasn't caught one, though. He has enough on his plate already,"_ the Electric-Type remarked, yawning.

" _Still, he's lucky to have Sceptile."_

" _Somehow, Ash always gets the enthusiastic ones. Trust me when I say that he knows what he's doing nowadays. Now, back in the old times, it was a different story."_

" _Gary's worse,"_ the Fire-Type retorted, bringing up their old argument.

" _Nah. you never saw—"_

" _He drove a convertible. At age ten. He almost killed us_ _every day_ _."_

* * *

"It's cold outside, isn't it?" Ash asked Vivi as he sat down beside her. The Trainer turned to see the Evolution Pokemon gazing out into the frosty air, and realized that he hadn't completed his promised training with her.

" _It is,"_ the Eevee agreed.

There was a pause. "Don't you still have to learn Glaceon?"

A nod.

"Oh, you're in for a treat. Do you want me to take you swimming in ice-cold water, or flying above these mountains?"

" _I'd very much like both,"_ Vivi replied excitedly.

* * *

Garchomp looked down over the cliff that the hideout was stationed at. Talonflame was to his left, urging him to jump.

" _C'mon. One last time. Ash managed it."_

" _I thought that was because you micromanaged his wings to the point that they were practically perfect,"_ the dragon protested.

" _That's not important,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type insisted. " _Just jump, and make sure your takeoff is secure."_

" _I'm not sure I can—"_

Talonflame placed a wing on Garchomp's back. " _Just have confidence in yourself,"_ the Scorching Pokemon instructed. " _You're a fully-evolved pseudo with power that rivals Charizard, Sceptile, and Pikachu. Heck, you'd probably beat them up in a fight. I know you were a bit timid as a Gabite, but you have to find your identity as a Garchomp. And Garchomp as a species—they fly."_

The newly-evolved Mach Pokemon hesitated, then realized that his teammate was right.

Garchomp jumped.

And let the air currents guide him.

* * *

 **AN: DONE! Thank you for reading once again (chapter 21...never thought I would make it this far). It's a pleasure to write and look at these amazing comments. It really brightens up my day.**

 **Comment time!**

 **-AgitatedDog9288: Yeah, I agree. But I felt bad (and had some stuff to do last week) so I gave you guys an early update. Hope this one was just as good to you.**

 **-bladetri: Me too :P**

 **-Pokeevee57: Please update. I love all of your updates. And my bomb shelter hasn't been hurt severely...whew!**

 **Alright, I have a pretty cool announcement.**

 **I've decided that I should contribute to the fandom. So what does this mean?**

 **There's this thing called an OC that some people hate and others love. I have my own too (although they're all too insignificant to notice, and mostly consist of the average Trainer losing to Gary Oak).**

 **No, I'm not looking for OC ideas in this story. It'll just trigger some people.**

 **By the time April ends and May begins, I'll have started a story that includes all the OCs that you guys give me. PM me names, descriptions, Pokemon, etc. that you want to see in the upcoming story, and when EOTR ends (it'll be sad), chapter 1 will be up. (Make them as OP or as stupid as you want, but note that I can't stand OP characters that aren't Ash and will most likely tweak a few things.)**

 **And I haven't forgotten my other ideas, either. Don't worry, it'll be pretty cool, and I'm looking forward to making it as comedic (if not, more) than what I have now.**

 **Ah! I'm still looking for cover art!**

 **Thanks,**

 **Crestilia**


	22. Chapter 22

**I almost split this chapter up because it was so long. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

In a faraway region, a certain bipedal Pokemon sat in the thick branches of a large forest, legs crossed. He closed his eyes, clearing his mind of frivolous things and focusing on the peaceful feeling welling up inside him.

Until a voice interrupted.

" _You look troubled."_

The Pokemon sighed deeply, trying to ignore the sudden interruption.

" _What's on your mind?"_

Coral eyes opened, squinting in the blinding sunlight. " _Does it concern you?"_

" _No. It interests me."_

The Pokemon shifted his weight, turning around so that his gaze became fixated into the higher branches of the tree, where he assumed his visitor was. " _Fine. I'll tell you."_ He paused, evaluating his decision. " _My palms. They've been a little numb recently, kind of like I've lost some strength in them. Maybe I've been overexerting myself—"_

" _I see,"_ the voice interrupted. " _You're worried."_

" _What?"_

" _You're worried about your Trainer,"_ Zygarde reiterated. " _Is that right?"_

" _Y-yes. I am."_

" _You'll be surprised how resilient that 'Ash' character is, Greninja,"_ the Order Pokemon said. " _I have a feeling…"_ he trailed off, staring into the rising sun, " _that you would find him if you thought he was suffering, no?"_

" _Of course,"_ the Water-Type replied. " _My Trainer is special to me, and I'm not going to let him carry his burdens alone."_

* * *

Ash sat on a plateau, examining his hands. It was early in the morning, and the Trainer had decided to do some meditating. After all, that's what Aura Guardians were supposed to do—right?

The fact that he got this information from one of Sceptile's fantasy books didn't really help the situation.

He couldn't concentrate. Aura flooded his senses, making everything around him glow in shades of indescribable color. It was too bright.

The teen sat in the uncomfortable silence, shifting his weight from side to side. He was becoming restless. His Aura source felt too unnatural, to the point that it constantly bothered him. Ash found that he couldn't even walk without tripping once.

He sighed and began to unravel the gauze that covered his hands. Sceptile had been right about everything: how Ash needed a teacher…how he made a fatal mistake…how it was dangerous to mess with things he didn't understand…

His palms were bruised, red, and limp. Sure, the blood in his hands was flowing, and the skin was repairing itself, but no life flowed through it. Since there was no Aura, healing would be slowed down, and that frustrated him.

But his Aura constructs (he still refused to call them wings) felt real. They interfered with his sleeping, messed with his balance, and drove him insane. He knew they were temporary—just until his hands could heal again—but it was frustrating nonetheless. The loss of an essential body part (Ash had never really valued his hands) hindered him from even doing things like dressing himself in the morning or pressing the button of a Pokeball.

And then there was the problem of being seen in society. Gary would need to buy him a windbreaker for the next few weeks or so, and he wouldn't be able to take it off in public…

Ash didn't usually pay attention to the way things were. They always pointed all the unfairness in the world to _him_. It was hard to get out of self-pity, and the Trainer knew that from experience.

Maybe he just had to recognize his destiny…and to come to terms with it.

* * *

Vivi tried to concentrate on the mountain air around her. The freezing winds blew from the south side and made the Normal-Type shiver. Should she turn into Flareon? That would keep her war—no. She _had_ to do this.

The Eevee saw her Trainer sitting on a separate plateau in the distance and reminded herself of her adventures. The weakness she originally saw in herself had vanished into the cold, fresh breeze. Only strength remained, in the form of a Pokemon who didn't have obligations to the rules of the universe.

She had one more challenge to overcome: to find peace and belonging in the cold.

As a young Eevee, she _hated_ the cold. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed winter. There were cold things, cold places, cold Pokemon, cold _Humans_...

It started snowing, and Vivi could catch a glimpse of a winged silhouette approaching here. Blue, majestic wings spread sheer cold over the area, and the Eevee's eyes widened at the Ice Beam fired at the ground below.

Articuno tilted her head, surveying the young Pokemon in front of her. " _What are you doing here?"_ she asked. " _Are you lost?"_

" _I'm trying to become a Glaceon,"_ the Normal-Type responded, grinning brightly.

The Freeze Pokemon nodded. " _Do you need help?"_ she asked.

" _Yes, please! Can you show me some of your Ice-Type moves?"_

It was an unusual request, but Articuno obliged, taking off into the air and shooting an Ice Beam at a previously-formed Hurricane to make a glittering statue of ice that shimmered in the sun's rays. With a smile, the Ice and Flying-Type chuckled and used Freeze Dry to crystallize the snow around them into giant, spiked balls of ice.

Another figure flew over, landing wobbly and almost crashing on the ground next to the Evolution Pokemon (Talonflame would've been disappointed).

"Hey Vivi," Ash greeted, walking up to the Normal-Type, "it's time for lunch. Don't be late!"

With a running start and a jump off the cliff, the teen had left for the cave.

Articuno realized that she was staring. " _Who was that?"_ she asked.

" _My Trainer,"_ the Evolution Pokemon revealed. " _He's really nice."_

The legendary Pokemon was surprised. In all her years of wandering the earth, this was a first for her. " _Is he…"_

" _Yeah! Talonflame taught her to fly recently. She's pretty cool."_

" _That's...nice."_

Vivi waved a paw at the legendary. "Anyway," she spoke up, "I have to go. Bye!" She turned around, transforming into a Jolteon and speeding off with Quick Attack.

As she stood near the mouth of the cave, she sighed to herself. Articuno was cold, but in her own way, a warm feeling aroused from just meeting her. She concentrated once more, and a Glaceon walked up to her Trainer with a triumphant grin.

* * *

Sceptile hated the cold. It wasn't just a Type advantage for him. It seemed like the first Mega-Evolution of his species hated Ice so much that he became Dragon-Type just to have more reason to despise it. It was the reason he hadn't stepped foot outside the cave since he felt the temperature suddenly drop five degrees.

It was just him and Charizard in the far side of the cave. The Grass-Type had a feeling that the giant lizard was feeling too lazy to go outside.

" _You know,"_ he spoke up, " _we don't actually hate each other, do we? It's just that we'd never say it in public."_

" _Say what?"_ the Flame Pokemon asked. " _That we're actually friends? I mean, it's fun battling you. You're like, my rival. I guess that would make us friends."_

" _Ditto. We work pretty well together as well,"_ the Hoenn Region Starter stated, remembering the Team Rocket bases that they've crashed and burned—literally.

" _Fun times,"_ Charizard agreed, grinning at the sight of his friend sticking a twig in his mouth. " _I like listening to your rants about Corphish."_

" _It's just that he's not very…he doesn't have much logic in him,"_ Sceptile replied.

" _Poor Torkoal, too,"_ the Flame Pokemon snickered, smirking at the memories of the Fire-Type's whining that Ash favored the Water-Type over him.

" _I think Swellow got annoyed halfway through Hoenn,"_ the Forest Pokemon remarked.

" _Yeah…"_

" _Oh look, Ash is coming back. Act normal."_

" _Normal?"_

" _...Uh, I honestly don't know."_

" _It's okay. Same."_

* * *

"Did something happen here?" Ash asked the two Pokemon.

" _No,"_ Charizard replied.

"Oh, okay then."

* * *

"Thank you for battling at the Team Rocket HQ," Ash told his Gallade (now in Gardevoir form) as the two sparred.

" _I am glad as well, sir,"_ came the reply.

The Pokemon Trainer sighed. "You're not going to stop this, are you?" he asked.

" _No, sir. I call it 'the freedom of speech.'"_ A Moonblast pushed the teen back, and Ash had to use his feet to block the shot, before realizing that wings—uh, Aura constructs—were more effective.

"If I ever become an official in the Pokemon Association, I'm changing the law. No Pokemon would be allowed to call their Trainer 'sir,'" the Trainer joked.

" _Sceptile will be on my side. You'll see."_

Ash shook his head, preparing a shaky Aura Sphere (he needed practice). "But that's not fair."

Gardevoir blocked it with Psychic. " _You can have Pikachu."_

"He's no help."

" _I'll show you no help!"_ the Electric-Type shouted from the cave. An extremely powerful Thunder shot out, making the Trainer duck and prepare a thin barrier of Aura to block the attack.

"Pikachu! I was talking about politics!" Ash shouted in the direction of the Mouse Pokemon.

" _Oh, okay,"_ came the reply.

"Not even an apology," the Trainer muttered playfully.

* * *

Pikachu and Talonflame sat around a warm, glowing rock that Charizard had repeatedly used Flamethrower on.

" _I don't understand how you're a Pikachu,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type was saying, " _but can still beat up the rest of Ash's team."_

" _Well,"_ the Electric-Type replied, looking into the eyes of his teammate, " _Ash's Pokemon—no offense, by the way—rely on him too much, in my opinion. A Trainer doesn't really 'command' their team, you know, no matter how much they seem to. Instead, we both have to strategize. In the end, the opponents that give me the most trouble are the ones that come up with their own strategies on the field without the direction of their Trainer."_

" _Really?"_

" _Yep. This requires you to hone your own skills, though, and practice strategizing without instruction. Imagine if Pokemon battles were like, 'Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf at twenty-five degrees to your left and forty-one point five seven degrees up! Jump a foot into the air and aim Vine Whip at the right leg!' It kinda sounds like they'd be using us as tools for battle, doesn't it?"_

Talonflame laughed. " _Yeah, it kinda does,"_ she agreed.

" _Ash trusts all of us to do our best, and when we do something without his direction, he'll follow pretty quickly. He's surprisingly smart when he's in-battle and is good at things like timing and moves for the situation. You know, I tend to lose my battles when I rely on him too much and don't do my own part in strategizing."_

The Pikachu paused, before continuing. " _So in order to become better, I guess you just need to strategize and practice."_

" _I see. Thanks."_

" _Actually, I don't think I've sparred with you before Can we?"_ the Mouse Pokemon asked.

The Kalosian Pokemon was surprised, but she agreed nonetheless.

* * *

Pikachu started off with a simple Thunderbolt. " _Talonflame, you seem so antisocial sometimes."_

The other Pokemon barely dodged, reminding herself that she had a Type disadvantage. " _Well, it's just that Kanto is a weird region to live in."_

" _I don't think so,"_ Ash's Starter remarked as he continued his assault of electricity. " _You were like that, even in Kalos."_

" _...Okay fine,"_ the Kalos Bird surrendered verbally. " _All of you are so strong and confident."_ She launched a Flamethrower at her opponent. " _I just came back from the Kalos League, and I'm a bit dizzy from everything. And then I meet Pokemon that I've never seen before, and they're all Ash's friends, too."_ A readied Brave Bird and Electro Ball clashed midair. " _He has like ten other Flying-Types. I can never compare to his powerhouses, either. I guess I practice so much because I want to compete against them, and in that way, be able to talk to them."_ A powerful Steel Wing was barely dodged by the Pikachu.

The Mouse Pokemon narrowed his eyes and used Quick Attack to dodge his teammate's quick flip in the air into another Steel Wing. At the last second, the move turned into Brave Bird and clashed with a quick Thunderbolt.

Brave Bird doesn't miss. Another thing she learned over the course of her journey.

" _All you have to do,"_ the Electric-Type spoke up, using Iron Tail to deflect another Brave Bird, " _is spar with Charizard. I have a feeling you two would get along. Trust me, it'll be like the Butterfree effect."_

" _You mean, 'butterfly effect?'"_ The Flying-Type asked with a caw and a spinning Peck: another tactic she learned with her Trainer.

" _You're just like Ash: in denial. Butterflies are extinct, so why don't they call it the Butterfree effect? Ash had one too."_

" _Pikachu, 'butterfly' is the last name of the Scientist Viktor Butterfly, who studied how it was theoretically possible that Vivillon could cause Hurricanes on the other side of the world by flapping their wings, although it was impossible for them to learn the actual move at around level five."_

" _How did you know that?"_

Talonflame snickered. " _I'm educated."_

" _I somehow doubt that. You listened to one of Sceptile's rants about extinction."_

* * *

"Hey look," Gary spoke up, pointing to a cluster of buildings in the distance. "It's Mahogany Town!"

"Finally," Misty remarked, sighing. "Mountains are so hard to get around, especially at night."

"My family hasn't seen me in decades," Norman thought aloud.

"You remind me of myself," Pryce replied, chuckling at his fellow Gym Leader. "At this age, all your friends are busy being Pokemon Professors or something."

Brock glanced up from his conversation with the Striaton Gym Leaders. "It was nice meeting you guys, but I _do_ get the feeling I've seen Cilan before…" **(AN: Watch SS027—Dent and Takeshi! Gyarados's Imperial Rage!)**

"He traveled throughout Unova with some kid after we somehow lost to him," Chili explained. "Maybe you've seen each other then?"

"No, but the same thing happened to me. What a strange coincidence!"

The Grass-Type specialist grinned. "I got interested in the way he just kept believing in his Pokemon. And his win shouldn't have been possible, especially with a Type disadvantage in my favor."

"Wow, we need to exchange stories! Do you think we have time to spare at the Pokemon Center, even wi—"

"Hush!" Jasmine demanded, glaring at Brock (who began to sweat uncomfortable and blush). "Erika's talking to an officer!"

The Cerulean City Gym Leader gave a sigh of relief. "I don't think my legs could go any farther. It has been _so long_ since I've traveled."

"I need to leave now," Gary informed Sabrina.

"Why?"

"I left my team in the mountains. Can you deliver a letter to my gramps?"

The other psychic smiled. "Sure. Go ahead and write it on a piece of paper."

"Thanks, Sabrina."

"Anything for a student of mine."

* * *

"Tracey, where's my grandson?" Samuel Oak demanded as they got out of the car.

The Pokemon Watcher scratched his head sheepishly. "Professor? I don't think he's here."

"The police specifically called me, and now you're telling me that they can't keep track of teenagers?!"

"Uh, Professor…"

"Professor Oak?" Sabrina appeared, holding a letter. "You grandson told me to give this to you."

"He's gone to work, hasn't he? That's my grandson: always running off to do whatever he feels is important. Reminds me of myself when I was a boy. At least he's not as bad as Ash…"

* * *

"I'm baaaaack!" Gary Oak yelled as he walked into the cave the next morning.

"Jeez," Ash muttered. "You don't have to be so loud."

"Uh, sorry?"

Umbreon appeared from a corner. " _Gary's back!"_ he shouted.

" _Really? I didn't notice,"_ Electivire deadpanned, getting up to meet his Trainer. The Gym Leader's other Pokemon turned around from their card game to greet the Gym Leader.

"Your building supplies are in," Ash informed his friend, "so we should get to your Gym and start building. I think it'll be manageable for the two of us, especially with your mind and all of our Pokemon."

"Yeah," the other Pallet Town Trainer agreed. "I was going to have you do all the work, but now your hands are broken or something, so I can't exploit you anymore."

"You're too reliant on me," Ash remarked.

"What are you talking about? I'm pretty sure I have a job."

"Just Teleport us all to your Gym already."

"Slave driver," Gary muttered under his breath.

"Hypocrite!"

* * *

When the two Pokemon Trainers reached the Viridian City Gym—or, what _used_ to be the Viridian City Gym—Gary got excited.

"Ash, can you show me a 3D blueprint of the layout?"

"You're telling me that you can't do that yourself?" the Aura adept questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It's out of my skillset. You're more convenient."

"My hands are broken."

The psychic humphed playfully and lifted a hand to display a glowing, blue structure of the Gym layout. He turned to the Indigo Conference Champion, pointing at the model. "The landscaper is coming tomorrow, so we'll have to finish the outside by then."

"Alright. We should first clear everything away and build the foundation. It has to be concrete, right? Because like, half your team knows Earthquake."

"I think the battle room will have to be set differently," Gary remarked. "I don't want the challenger to get any advantages from the battlefield."

* * *

"Golem! Sandslash! Rhydon! Use Rollout!" the Gym Leader instructed. "Alakazam, bring those concrete pillars over here, and Umbreon, use Dig on the marked edges! Fearow, be ready to speed up the concrete hardening process!"

He turned to Ash, who was reading something from a printed piece of paper. "What are you doing?"

"Looking at instructions for building a house," he replied, looking up at his friend. "Since none of us are experts, Sceptile and Vivi volunteered to research the stuff for us. This litwicki-HOW is pretty helpful."

"Oh."

"Gallade! Come here!" Ash called out to his Psychic and Fighting-Type, who had been moving dirt away from the foundation. "Can you make these," he turned to his paper, "'wall lines?' It shouldn't be too hard."

" _On it, si—"_

"Oh, and get Garchomp for me, will you? I need him to get the insulation for the basement walls."

" _Yessir!"_ Gallade replied before his Trainer could stop him. " _Right away, sir!"_

He Teleported away in a blink of an eye, and Gary turned to the other Trainer.

"' _Sir?'"_ he asked.

* * *

"These transporting tiles will be so much fun," the Gym Leader exclaimed with an elated grin as Pikachu and Electivire helped him test the wiring.

"Half the Trainers that come here will quit, and the other half will sell the answer to your puzzle online." Ash helpfully commented.

"I'll just switch it up," the Gym Leader replied. "But that means we'll need a subfloor and a few teleporters. Did you happen to get those?"

"Yeah. I knew you were going to want some, so I ordered six."

" _You're really going over and out with this,"_ Rhyhorn commented as he hammered a nail into the frame of the Gym.

"Building projects are meant to be fun," Gary replied, silently thanking the two Electric-Types for their help. He secured another plank of wood and motioned to Alakazam, who tossed him a metal connector before Teleporting away to Sceptile. Seconds later, Nidoqueen walked up to him, laying down a tube of plumbing at his feet. Kingler scuttled over to him, using Crabhammer softly on the wood to keep it together. With the use of his new favorite weapon, a pivot screwdriver, the Gym Leader's team was able to finish another wall.

From the front side of the Gym-in-construction, Ash, Pikachu, and Umbreon unpacked boxes of material. The sun began to blaze down on the plot of land, and the Trainer began to take off his jacket but was stopped as he saw a little girl run by, chased by her friends.

The Gym Leader walked up to him. "It's a bit hot out here, huh."

Ash laughed. "At least you don't have to worry about the media."

"Hey, I narrowly missed being on TV yesterday. They had a _four-hour_ newscast about the kidnapped Gym Leaders, you know. Plus, think of this as an opportunity. When you challenge the Elite Four, you can take off that jacket. They'll think it's a fashion statement," the Gym Leader suggested.

"True; all the high-ranking Pokemon Trainers are always so flagrant in their clothing style," Ash agreed. "I also have to find a way for my Pokemon to hold their Mega-Stones without...hey, I forgot to give some more to you for your research purposes."

"Oh, you don't have to—"

"I have like forty, remember?"

The Pallet Town Trainer suddenly pointed to the scaffolding on top of the Gym that supported the roof, where Gardevoir was using Psychic to hold the wooden planks together. "That thing's not stable," he remarked. "I think we need something called a truss. Can you ask Alakazam about it?"

"Okay. Just wait as I move the insulation."

* * *

Ash and Gary watched as the sun began to set for the day. Both Trainers were experiencing the effects of sleep debt but didn't let that affect them as the two teens continued to work on the frame of the house.

"I heard that you switched your field of study again," Ash spoke up. "What are you studying now?"

"Pokemon roles," Gary answered, "and how each Pokemon species has a specific purpose. Like, how Mew is the Mother of Life and how Kyogre expanded the sea." Gary picked up a hammer and started examining some nearby nails lying on the ground. "It's basically trying to prove a bunch of myths and convincing the scientific community that I'm not crazy."

"I thought you were studying extinct Pokemon."

"Eh, I realized that I wasn't very good with rocks and fossils. Plus, it was getting a little boring."

"How are you going to study all these Legendaries if their existence is controversial?" Ash inquired.

Psychic energy began lifting up some screws, moving them over to the two Trainers. "By studying your Pokedexes, of course."

"I kinda knew you were going to say that," Ash remarked, and he turned around, pointing at the floating nuts, bolts, and screws with a gauzed hand. "Be careful with that, will you?"

"I am," the Gym Leader replied, watching Fearow, Skarmory, Scizor, and Pinsir as they installed some roofing felt on the ceiling. "Sometimes I wish they hired workers for me, but then I realize that the Pokemon Association wants me to be creative."

The other Trainer tried to shake the framework and nodded in approval at its sturdiness. "True. But they're still a bit strict on you. Even after getting kidnapped, you're expected to open the Gym," he glanced around, realizing that it was after midnight, "tomorrow."

* * *

It was about one in the morning when Ash realized that Gary still had his battle with Giovanni in his mind. The Pokemon and Humans were laying down shingles on the roof and placing down bricks, and many of the Gym Leader's Pokemon were using Flash to illuminate the area. Umbreon was especially helpful as he helped Sceptile use Cut on some wood like a saw, and Nidoqueen was taking pride in the expedient way she installed windows.

"Ash."

"Hmmm?"

The teen sighed. "How did you get your Earth Badge?"

"I didn't actually fight Giovanni," the Indigo Conference Champion replied. "It was probably sheer luck that I even got that badge in the first place."

"Oh."

"Cheer up," the Aura adept spoke up, "your Pokemon were probably tired by the time they fought him."

"Our textbooks still have him listed as the Viridian City Gym Leader."

Ash shook his head. His childhood rival was being strangely unreasonable. "Is this about your capability as a Gym Leader?"

"I…" Gary's voice faltered. He was glad that shadows blocked his face.

"The last Gym Leader was a crime lord," the other Trainer deadpanned. "You couldn't possibly be worse than that. Lighten up. Besides, we have your Gym to build."

Blastoise and Magmar walked past Gary, each carrying an armful of pipes. Behind him, Electivire and Pikachu strolled by with an air conditioner unit. Scizor and Sceptile followed closely with a box of wires.

"Wow. Starting on the interior already?" Ash asked. "They're pretty quick. I think we should rest at four, and wake up early to do the rest. What do you think?"

"Alright."

* * *

" _One of Ash's friends wrote an article on installing wires,"_ Vivi explained to Garchomp. " _Sceptile says that it's pretty useful."_

The Mach Pokemon nodded as he helped the Espeon install some insulation. " _That's cool,"_ he commented.

" _Yeah. Ash says we should be done by tomorrow!"_

Houndoom pushed a pile of stuffing towards the two Pokemon. "Delivery," he announced, the scurried off to help bring in the shower. Beside him, Magmar, Scizor, and Dodrio began to map the system for the transporting tiles.

Charizard walked into the building, carrying a stack of ceiling tiles. Gardevoir used Psychic to install them quickly, leaving room for lights and a ceiling fan.

* * *

The sun wasn't even up yet when Ash and Gary woke up to check the building for irregularities. Alakazam volunteered to survey the job once more before the team could continue their work. In the front lawn, Gallade had started a coffee stand with the help of Charizard and Kingler.

Gary carried a wall board with his mind, mirrored by Gardevoir and Vivi in Espeon form. Ash helped carry the wall trim and a few canisters of paint into the building.

Cabinets, carpeting, sinks, and other supplies followed shortly after.

* * *

It was noon by the time everything was done. Most of the Pokemon had gone inside to sleep in Gary's carpeted room, where a bed had yet to be installed.

"This is perfect," the Gym Leader marveled, staring at his new Gym.

"Go inside," Ash suggested, covering up a yawn. "I'll pretend to be a newbie Trainer."

"Okay."

Gary grabbed his remote (to control the tiles) and walked in. Ash recalled all his Pokemon (except Pikachu, of course), and pushed open the double glass doors, ignoring the dust and dirt around the area. He surveyed the ground in front of him and opened the door cautiously to the puzzle room.

"Pikachu, hold on. Let's pretend this is a real Gym Challenge."

The Electric-Type nodded, bracing himself.

"I have come to challenge the Viridian City Gym!" Ash yelled stepping on a glowing arrow. Immediately, he was spun around the room, ending up on a blank square. He tried to step on the tile behind him, but it spun him right back to where he just was.

" _Go to the—"_

"Pikachu, we're testing this thing too, remember? I have to go to all the squares to see if they're working." The Trainer spun around to a few more squares before he started feeling dizzier than he should be.

" _Ash, try the—"_

"Pikachu, knowing Gary, there isn't going to be a possible way out. He's probably enjoying this."

" _Just don't fall,"_ the Pikachu warned, knowing that Gym Leader set the room to teleport people to the beginning if they fell down. "Or stand still," he added. If a Trainer stood without moving to another square for more than ten seconds, they would be teleported out as well.

"I'll test that out after we get to Gary," Ash told his Starter as he surveyed the area.

"There is no way to the battle room," he decided.

The Pikachu nodded, understanding.

"We'll just have to make a way, then," Ash decided, and took off his jacket, revealing his folded Aura constructs. He spread them out, and a shout of ' _cheater!'_ could be heard from the other room.

* * *

Ash and Gary dusted the walls with their Cinccino-inspired dusters, chatting about politics again. Their Pokemon were resting, and the Gym Leader was celebrating the installation of the air conditioning and the electronics.

"Once the landscaper comes, the new Gym will be open for business," Ash said, smiling. "All you need to do is go get some new badges since the old ones were burnt in the fire."

"Yep," Gary agreed. "I'll do that tonight."

The other Trainer nodded, before looking away at the front door. "I'm thinking of challenging the Elite Four in a month or so. Do I have to make an appointment?"

"I'll do it for you. Plus, if you have enough recommendation letters from Champions, Gym Leaders, and generally powerful people from around the world, you can get an audience."

"Alright."

There was a knock on the door, and Ash and Gary scrambled around in an attempt to hide any signs of irregular activity. The two got off the ceiling, for one…

The Gym Leader took a deep breath, opened the door, and peered out.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

A girl with light skin, honey-blonde hair, and cerulean-colored eyes was at the door. She wore a pink skirt, tied together with a blue handkerchief. Her black boots and wavy hairstyle reflected a Kalosian origin. "You don't happen to know where Ash Ketchum is, do you?" she asked.

" _Oh, I know her,"_ Ash spoke up, using Aura to communicate.

" _Want to let her in?"_

" _No."_

" _I thought you were pretty lenient with people seeing you,"_ the Gym Leader remarked.

" _No."_

" _Are you sure about that?"_

" _...No."_

"Is...is there something wrong?" the girl asked quietly, worried, making the Gym Leader shake his head.

"Of course not. Sorry about that. You said you wanted Ash Ketchum?"

"Is he with you?"

" _Just say no. Please."_

" _Did something happen between you two?"_

" _...No."_

" _You're not being very convincing."_

" _Please, Gary…"_

"Sorry, I haven't seen him in a few months," the Gym Leader replied aloud, then switched to telepathy to communicate with his friend. " _Something definitely happened."_

" _Gary, I—"_

" _Are you guys dating?"_

" _What?! Why would you—"_

" _Did you reject her?"_

" _No, but I—"_

"May I come in?" the girl asked, looking around.

"Sure," the Gym Leader replied, giving a welcoming smile. "What's your name?" he asked. "Maybe we can contact each other in the future?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Serena. I traveled with Ash back when he was in Kalos."

 _ **End of EOTR, Part 2**_

* * *

 **AN: Thank you all for reading up to this point. It's been a fun journey, but it's not over yet!**

 **A few things:**

 **-To people that are amourshippers, here you go.**

 **-To people that are anti-amourshippers, I'm not going to discriminate. Please be patient.**

 **-I still have no idea how to make a cover for this story and should probably find something.**

 **-Part 3 might be out next week, and it might not. It depends on whether I find the need to revise some small things (ahemGreninjaahem).**

 **-No, the story's not over yet. Just wait and see. There are still loose ends to tie up, like Infernape and Pidgeot!**

 **-The Sun and Moon anime is so weird sometimes. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.**

 **-To Guest: yeah, Ash has a Kingler. Gary does too.**

 **-To Pokeevee57: I shall wait until then... :P**


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry for the two-week-long break. I had school (and cry internally about my grades every day). I know I shouldn't be complaining 'cause there are authors with less time than me, but still, I try to update on a weekly basis because I have to finish this fanfic before 'dead year'...**

 **And if you can tell, a lot of this chapter was written pretty recently (there are slightly more serious themes here), and not three years ago like the rest of my fanfiction.**

 **I apologize again for the two-week break. Just saying, I don't regret it.**

 **Anyway, ready for part 3?**

 **Iku-ze!**

* * *

Indigo Plateau was experiencing a quiet, sunny afternoon. Not a single cloud crossed the clear, blue skies, and the winds were completely still, as if Ho-oh himself blessed the day to be picturesque and perfect in every way.

A widely-renown Dragon Master was spinning around in the desk chair of his quaint office, holding a pokegear with one hand and petting his sleeping Dragonite with the other. An old-fashioned ceiling fan had blown some of his paperwork on the carpet, and the man glared at the stack of fallen parchment next to the wooden desk and took a long sigh.

"Hello?" he asked. "Indigo Plateau. Who is this?"

A few seconds of silence filled the room before the Kantonian Champion spoke up again. "I see. Are they qualified?"

Another pause.

"Ah. What's the participant's name?"

Dragonite opened his eyes, staring at his Trainer as the Champion took a deep breath and chuckled.

"I understand. Heh, if all the qualifications are set, and if their recommendation letters are prestigious enough, I might just publically announce this one. It's been awhile since I had last had to defend my title."

Three knocks announced the arrival of Agatha, a member of the Kanto-Johto Elite Four, who smirked slightly as she appeared, swinging back the handle of the door in order to let herself in the office. Lance nodded in greeting as she saw her before turning back to the call.

"I'll look forward to seeing him…uh, he _is_ a guy, right?"

Silence enveloped the area once again.

"Oh, so we'll have to call this Trainer 'it' before the battle?" the Dragon-Type Trainer joked, laughing aloud.

From the other end of the phone, Gary Oak turned to glance at his friend, who was sparring with his Gallade in the battle room. The Trainer crossed his wings (Gary preferred to call them 'products of stupidity' in Ash's presence) to defend against a powerful Brick Break. "Yeah, 'it' works too, I guess," the Gym Leader replied. "You can never be too technical, right?"

"Yeah, 'it' works too, I guess," the Gym Leader replied. "You can never be too technical, right?"

The teen hung up, and Lance chuckled in confusion as he placed the pokegear back on the table. He looked up at his coworker, who fingered her staff as Gengar snickered in glee behind her.

"Is this about a challenger?" the Ghost-Type Trainer asked.

"Yes," Lance answered, lowering his eyes to the Dragonite beside him.

"Will they be someone to train for?"

The Dragon-Type Trainer smiled. "We'll just have to see."

* * *

Serena looked around the Gym's bright and welcoming lobby, amazed at the meticulous detail it had been built with. It was simple yet homey, and slightly resembled the interior of a Pokemon Center in Kalos. Two couches lined opposing walls, placed so that Trainers could socialize and connect before entering a nerve-wracking battle. Behind an open doorway, glowing transporting tiles lined the floor, leading to two glass doors that would've awaited a challenger at the end of a long dizzy puzzle. The ceilings were ornate: covered in etches and painted drawings of constellations that the Gym Leader must've put up himself. It reminded her of Kalosian architecture.

"Welcome to the Viridian City Gym," the teen spoke up politely. "I'm Gary Oak, Gym Leader and Pokemon Researcher on extinct Pokemon, Mega Evolution, and world history."

"You're quite the achiever," the Kalosian Trainer complimented.

"Oh, it's nothing," the other teen replied, chuckling. "I just have a lot of spare time. Come in, by the way."

"I heard you knew Ash," Serena tried to make conversation as she fingered a shrunken Pokeball in her hand. "Weren't you his rival?"

The Gym Leader nodded, leading her to sit on a couch. "I was. He always made it higher than me in the Pokemon League, but his arrogance keeps _—_ uh _—_ kept getting to him whenever we have a battle. Plus, his strategy to bring only Pikachu with him to new regions isn't really beneficial to the strength of his other Pokemon, you see. If I fought a six-on-six battle with his Unova team, he'd be dead in less than ten minutes."

" _How about my Kalos team?"_ Ash's voice sounded in Gary's head.

" _Huge weakness to Electric-Types,"_ the Gym Leader thought back. " _My Rhydon knows Thunderbolt, and I have an Electivire."_

" _So? We could deal with—"_

"Ummm…Gary?" Serena asked, concerned about the faraway look that suddenly appeared on the Gym Leader's face.

"Oh! Uh, yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

The Gym Leader nodded sheepishly. "Sorry, I…" he paused, "just remembered that I haven't checked if I have clean sanitation in the building. And to think that I have to open up the place tomorrow…"

"I can help if you want," the girl offered.

"It's okay. I'm just waiting for the landscaping. It seems like they're late."

"That's too bad. Thanks anyway," Serena replied. With a smile, they exchanged pokegear numbers.

" _Gary, she's suspicious,"_ Ash spoke into his friend's mind. " _I'm going to get out using the window, so if she wants to search the house, she can."_

" _Okay."_

* * *

Ash sat in a tree a bit downhill from the Gym.

He hadn't expected to see her so soon. Wasn't she headed to Hoenn? What happened?

Gary sat at the front window, chatting excitedly with his new friend. The Aura adept was almost tempted to listen in on their conversation.

Why didn't he want to see Serena? Well, Ash

Well, Ash _did_ require some privacy to destroy Team Rocket and challenge the Elite Four. It would be dangerous to have someone like Max to follow him into a base like the one he and Gary destroyed a few days ago.

And over the years, the Trainer developed a tiny, minuscule phobia of the media. He'd gained some publicity over the years—Kanto was small enough that gossip spread like wildfire—and Ash had been caught up in it since he came back from Sinnoh. Gary was being pretty secretive about the Trainer's whereabouts, but Ash probably shouldn't have gone to Brock's Gym, even with the Pokemons' insistence.

Darnit. He was making excuses. Serena…why didn't he want to meet her?

The Trainer realized with a start that he was being forced to face the past.

And that…was something he'd rather not do.

* * *

"I'll see you?" Serena asked.

"Sure," the Gym Leader replied.

* * *

There was a thud from Gary's private room that signified the return of a certain Aura adept. The Gym Leader sighed, shaking his head as he opened the door to the study and shut it behind him.

"So…"

The Pokemon Researcher wasn't as dense as his friend. He could spot a lovestruck teen from a mile away. It was one of the reasons he was a little wary of Brock from Pewter City at times. And that girl—Serena—had a thing for Ash.

It was crazy. Someone with a crush…on Ash?! It was impossible. Inconceivable. Impractical. The poor thing didn't know the difference between his left and his right at times. It was no wonder the guy was having such a hard time. He didn't know how to respond!

Ash waved a hand in front of the Gym Leader's face. "Hello? Can you stop staring?" he asked.

Gary blinked instinctively, bringing himself back to reality. "Oh. Yeah, I'm here. Sorry."

A few seconds of awkward silence immediately followed.

"So," he spoke up.

"So."

The Aura adept's tone was completely calm, yet his embarrassed face betrayed his thoughts.

"The girl was looking for you," Gary remarked.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. She said her name was Serena."

"Oh. Cool."

The Gym Leader sighed. As funny as it was to see his friend in such a panicked state, he knew it wasn't healthy for the other Trainer.

"You're not as dense as you look," the Gym Leader remarked.

"Thanks."

Gary narrowed his eyes. The Aura adept didn't even notice his half-hearted attempt at an insult. That definitely meant something was up. Brock had once complained to the Gym Leader about Ash's semi-successful love life (at least, more successful than most people he knew at that age), even if the kid didn't know what was going on, and this was one of the times Gary could understand Brock's reasoning.

The idiot had a more successful love life than the Gym Leader himself. It wasn't fair.

"Talk to her," he suggested, taking a seat on a newly-installed couch. "That'll clear things up between you two."

"You're not going to ask what happened?" Ash asked.

"Please. I can just read your mind."

"Doubt it," the other Trainer muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Gary to hear.

"Just do it," the Gym Leader insisted, smiling. "You don't want to ruin your friendship with her, do you?"

* * *

The residents of the Viridian City Gym decided to sleep early that night in preparation for the opening of the Gym the following day. As the sun was setting, the Trainers were discussing future plans.

"We've taken out a good number of Team Rocket grunts," Ash spoke up, staring at a map. "I'm guessing that there are still branches in other regions, although I've heard that the Kanto branch is still the strongest. Team Rocket is low on people, supplies, and technology. That's good for us."

"What should we do now?" Gary asked, fingering his cloak and dusting it off with a few quick swipes of his hand.

"I'm training for the Elite Four challenge, right? And you have to catch up on your paperwork that I'm not going to do for you." The teen glared at the other Pallet Town Trainer. "Plus, don't you have a Gym to run and a dissertation to write?"

"Don't remind me. I wanna procrastinate in peace."

Ash ignored his friend's remark. "I need a strategy for my battles."

The Gym Leader nodded. "According to the Pokemon Association rules, you're expected to use only seven Pokemon with all four members without losing," he explained. "I suggest that you take a diverse team and find ways to heal your team without Potions. Expect the Elite Four to cheat subtlely with Full Restores and stuff during the actual battle, but don't do it yourself or the media will question your title as Champion. If you actually get the title, that is."

"Heh, thanks for the encouragement," the Trainer joked.

"Anytime."

Gary once studied the system of Pokemon battling and analyzed their individual rules between regions to the point where he could recognize a cheater just by the stance he/she took when battling. There was a reason it was so hard to become Champion these days.

" _I expect to be used,"_ Pikachu spoke up.

"I'm thinking Oshawott or Corphish," Ash replied, trying not to laugh. "Sorry, Pikachu."

* * *

Ash's team was gathered around Sceptile, whose nose was delved deep into a thick textbook.

" _In the past, Trainers were only permitted to use six Pokemon in the Elite Four Challenge,"_ the Grass-Type explained, " _but the Pokemon Association changed it after there were complaints from the Kanto-Johto Elite Four about how someone's full potential cannot be reached with only five Pokemon. Today, only six Pokemon can be used in each battle between each Elite Four member, but seven can be used between all the battles, and that rule resulted from protests made by Trainers after consecutive losses against said Elite Four teams."_

" _Wow,"_ Vivi marveled.

" _That means we have one more spot,"_ Garchomp realized.

" _Do you want me to read more?"_ Sceptile asked.

" _Read the part about the stadium rules,"_ Charizard suggested mildly. " _I want to know about aerial battles."_

The rest of the teammates tried not to look too surprised that the Flame Pokemon wasn't upright insulting his Grass-Type teammate.

* * *

Ash put on a different set of clothes—blue jeans, a plain black shirt, a red-and-white vest and his Kalos hat—before stepping outside Gary's Gym, Pokemon in tow. For effect, he shouted back into the building: "Thanks for the battle, Mr. Gym Leader!"

"No problem, kid," Gary replied with an amused smile, watching the other Pokemon Trainer prepare for a walk home. "Smell ya later," he muttered under his breath.

Ash said he'd be back in a few days or so.

Knowing him, it'd be around a month before he'd be back.

* * *

Bulbasaur was about to Frenzy Plant the intruder in the middle of the night, but when he realized that it was only his Trainer, the Grass and Poison-Type decided to see what was up. " _What now?"_ he asked as the figure approached him.

The young teen lifted a finger as a signal for silence, and the Pikachu on his shoulder whispered, " _Ash is taking on the Elite Four Challenge."_

" _Oh."_

The Trainer walked over to the edge of the ranch to sit down in a tall patch of grass. A large number of Pokemon accompanied him and said their hellos—the teen had failed to tread quietly through the pasture.

With a flash of light, a certain Fire and Flying-Type was released from her pokeball.

"Talonflame, thanks for accompanying me, but I've been told that my team needs to be diverse," the Trainer apologized sheepishly. "And Charizard will disown me if I don't use him."

The Scorching Pokemon laughed aloud—she'd become good friends with the giant lizard over the course of her journey. " _No problem, Ash. I'm glad I was on your team for a while. Beating up Team Rocket was fun."_

"Yeah. Sorry about pulling you out so soon after Kalos. You didn't get a very long vacation, didn't you?"

" _Again, no problem. Just practice your midair turns and lands, and I'll forgive you for postponing my retirement."_

Ash smiled. "Go and take your deserved break."

* * *

"Pikachu, get Staravia. She's going to be in charge of training while I'm gone."

" _What?"_ the Electric-Type asked.

The Trainer ignored his Starter's remark. "Buizel and Krookodile should be able to help, too. Get Meganium to heal you guys when you're exhausted."

" _Where are you going?"_

"I need to pick up a teammate," Ash answered, standing up and looking off into the rising sun.

" _Why aren't you bringing the rest of us?"_

"You guys have more important things to be doing than sitting around in pokeballs all day. Don't let Oak see you, but train with everyone on the ranch. When I come back, I'll be expecting improvement. Is that okay with you?"

Pikachu sighed. " _Ash…"_

"Yeah?"

"… _Nothing. Just come back in one piece and I'll be content."_

* * *

"Charizard, fly me to Kalos."

" _But that's literally across the world!"_

"Yeah. I know."

The Flame Pokemon sighed. " _Can't_ _you_ _do it?"_

Ash chuckled. "Count this as some training. We're going to pick up a teammate for the Elite Four, you see."

" _Okay,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type replied. " _Who?"_

"Greninja. He has a grudge against Charizards."

" _That sounds fun."_

"I'm kidding. When we find him, you two can spar."

The giant lizard stretched his wings. " _Get on,"_ he instructed.

* * *

"So."

Ash and Charizard were gliding above the ocean, enjoying the clear view of the night sky. Both the Trainer and Pokemon were tired but refused to show it in front of each other.

"It should be just one more hour until we make it to land," the teen announced, holding up a map. The shield of Aura he'd set up kept him from falling off, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to exert his energy for much longer.

The journey was exhausting him.

" _One more hour,"_ Charizard repeated, grunting as he glided through the air.

"The stars are pretty tonight," the Trainer remarked. "I think it's because we're far away from civilization."

" _Yeah."_

"Say, have you ever thought about flying across the world?" Ash asked.

" _Hmm?"_

"You can meet new Pokemon that you've never seen before and see the cultures and traditions from all over."

" _I'd like to do that one day,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type replied, a pensive look appearing in his eyes. " _Maybe when you go to your next region, I'll come visit you."_

* * *

"Let's rest for the night," Ash suggested. "I'll start flying early tomorrow morning so we can get there faster."

" _Is there no Pokemon Center around?"_ Charizard asked groggily.

"I don't think so. We might be in an uninhabited land, and the Pokemon here probably have never seen a Human before."

* * *

Throughout his travels, Charizard never remembered hearing Ash talk in his sleep. Maybe it was something his Trainer picked up during Kalos—the Fire and Flying-Type seriously doubted that—but it sounded like he was in the middle of a conversation.

"Yeah, we're coming," the teen was muttering. "Which city are you in?"

"We have so much to catch up on."

"Wow, it's only been a month or two. Seems longer than that, huh?"

Charizard covered the lower half of his Trainer with a wing, improvising as a makeshift blanket. Even though he had no idea what was going in, he'd pledged to take care of the teen a long time ago, no matter where the Human went.

The Flame Pokemon smiled, finally falling asleep.

* * *

The duo was now flying over slates of ice, and the Trainer had to hold on to his Fire-Type in order to keep himself warm.

" _Ash?"_ Charizard asked.

"Yeah?"

The Flame Pokemon let out a pensive sigh as he continued gliding. " _What…what's so special about Greninja?"_

"Greninja?"

" _Yeah,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type responded. " _Pikachu talks about him. So does Talonflame. He sounds like the Krookodile or Infernape of Kalos."_

"Or the Charizard," Ash joked but realized immediately afterward that the Flame Pokemon was serious about the question.

"How do I put it?" the Trainer asked aloud, mostly to himself. "Pokemon and Trainers strengthen their bond through battle, and if the two forces are completely synchronized," Ash shivered a little as a gust of chilly air blew around him, "the team can perform at the highest quality. You and I have a really good bond, and that's shown when you trust me with one of my really stupid strategies. And Pikachu—it's like he can predict my commands perfectly. I can stop instructing him in battle and he'll read my mind anyway."

" _What about Greninja?"_ Charizard asked, flapping his wings to gain altitude and gliding again.

"Whenever Greninja and I became synchronized—whether it was in battle or not—his form would change."

" _Oh. So he was your first Mega Evolution?"_

"Not really. Professor Sycamore called it 'Bond Phenomenon'. Although Pikachu and I can have a full conversation even if I couldn't understand him, Greninja and I basically read each other's minds. Our heartbeats synchronized, and so did some of our movements and thoughts. We would use our energy together to defeat opponents, so I took half the pain Greninja felt. At least, that's what I think happened. I'm not sure there's a way to test that."

The Fire and Flying-Type nodded. " _So it was basically fusion."_

Ash chuckled. "Kinda. I don't really know how to explain it. But I'm sure Greninja would like to show you."

* * *

The bright, morning sun was rising over Kalos when Ash finally landed on the outskirts of Lumiose City. It was too early for pedestrians to be out shopping, but the teen could see rays of light peeking out over the horizon. His entire body (centered in the upper-back region) was sore from the effort he'd put into his Aura during the flight, and he felt like dropping to the ground in a crumpled mess, but reminded himself that the Pokemon Center was the best place for Charizard to regain his energy.

With a slight stumble, Ash began to walk towards civilization.

* * *

It was evening when Greninja arrived in Lumiose City. Ash didn't know how he knew that, but with every fleeting second, the Ninja Pokemon's aura would grow more prevalent in his mind.

Charizard decided that he wanted to explore the vast city, leaving the Trainer Pokemon-less for the day. The Fire and Flying-Type hadn't returned, so Ash was left wandering the streets and hoping that he wouldn't get lost. Maybe he should visit Clemont? Get a recommendation letter from Diantha? Either way, he had to reveal his identity, and the teen preferred that not be the case. He'd been on edge after the events at the Team Rocket Base.

The Trainer was sitting at the field where he'd first met his Water and Dark-Type as a Froakie, watching two young kids pit their Pokemon against each other in a friendly battle.

" _Ash,"_ a new voice spoke up behind him.

"Hey," the Trainer greeted, staring straight ahead. He didn't need to turn around to know where his Water and Dark-Type was.

The Ninja Pokemon jumped out of a nearby tree and sat right next to the teen. " _It's been a long time."_

"I know."

" _This is where we first met,"_ the Water-Type remarked.

"I know."

" _And you can understand me."_

"Yeah. I know."

" _Wow."_

The Trainer smiled. "I knew you wouldn't be that surprised. How have you been?"

" _Zygarde didn't think you'd actually come,"_ the Ninja Pokemon replied. " _I had to convince him otherwise."_

"Did they let you leave?" Ash asked.

" _Yeah. But they told me that the vines will spread, and it'll take longer to get rid of them."_

"Are you okay with that?"

" _I guess so. They mostly appear away from civilization, so I don't think they'll harm anyone. Plus, I've been worried."_

"About what?"

Greninja narrowed his eyes, staring into his Trainer's amber orbs. " _Take your hands out of your pockets,"_ he instructed, lacing a menacing but gentle tone beneath his words. _"There's something wrong, isn't there?"_

* * *

The Flame Pokemon was more impressive than Greninja thought.

He was clearly better trained than Alain's Charizard—both in power and speed. The fact that the Water-Type could barely keep up with his opponent was amazing, especially without the use of a Mega Stone. Greninja could see the years of experience deciding every move every attack, every dodge, and every parry. The lizard was certainly more powerful than he was in the stories Pikachu told.

And the Ninja Pokemon's respect was well-earned.

The intensity of his eyes stared back at the Water-Type. A raging fire burned deep within him, and the Ninja Pokemon could sense it.

Only the ones that had been shattered had such a will to fight.

Greninja clapped his palms, applauding his opponent.

And Double Teamed as the Flame Pokemon used a powerful Flamethrower in his direction.

* * *

Charizard suspected that his Trainer had already left the area to buy dinner for the trio. But it didn't matter to him.

" _You remind me of him,"_ the Flame Pokemon spoke up, spinning around to crash a Steel Wing into his opponent.

Twin blades of a carefully-placed Cut blocked the attack. " _Who?"_ Greninja asked.

The Fire-Type's Flamethrower missed the Ninja Pokemon by less than an inch. " _Ash."_

A Water Shuriken was skillfully thrown at the opposing side. " _How so?"_

" _You battle as if you're hiding your true strength."_

" _Are you saying that Ash does this too?"_ Greninja asked, jumping over a powerful Blast Burn.

" _I have a friend who calls it the 'speed-to-power ratio.' Your speed is too great for your attacks to deal that much damage. It's like all the moves you've used so far only stall for something greater."_

" _I see your point,"_ the Water-Type commented, meeting Charizard's Dragon Claw with a Night Slash.

" _Is this your battling style?"_ the Fire-Type inquired, twisting out of the way of another Water Shuriken.

" _You're good at reading your opponent on the battlefield."_

" _Then why haven't you revealed that power to me?"_ the Flame Pokemon asked. " _I don't want to feel insulted."_

Greninja knew that the other Pokemon was only probing him for fun. Charizard probably learned of the source of his power from their Trainer. " _The other half of my strength isn't with me at this moment,"_ he replied.

" _Oh? So where is it?"_

Ash walked up to the battlefield, carrying shopping bags that gave off a fresh, bakery aroma.

"Alright, Charizard. You asked for it."

* * *

Charizard, Greninja, and Ash stayed in the Pokemon Center that night. The new teammates had become fast friends (to Ash's relief), and the Trainer had taken the liberty to ask Diantha for a recommendation letter.

As the teen closed the door behind him to the bedroom, he saw that the Water and Dark-Type had already plopped down on the bottom bunk, and his teammate was chatting to him from a spot on the floor.

 _"Sceptile's cool,"_ Charizard explained. _"He's smart, too. Garchomp's pretty intimidating sometimes, but he's just a big_ ol _' softie with morals. An Electivire almost cussed in front of Ash once—"_

"I'm back," Ash announced.

" _Hey,"_ Charizard greeted. Greninja didn't say anything.

"I got some stuff. Hope you can handle the extra weight."

" _Of course."_

" _How did you buy stuff with broken hands?"_ Greninja asked.

"The PokeMart has an over-the-counter section," Ash replied.

"Like drugs?"

" _Shhh! Garchomp might hear you!"_ the Fire-Type warned.

"I know what drugs are," the Trainer retorted. "And no, not that. The employees are extremely helpful to disabled people."

" _You have wings,"_ Charizard muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. " _I wouldn't count you as disabled."_

" _Ash has wings?!"_ Greninja exclaimed, turning to face his Trainer. "That explains why Water Shurikens are larger than normal; why did I not sense this...?"

"Charizard, they're not wings! Only Aura constructs, remember?"

" _What's 'Aura'?"_ the Ninja Pokemon asked, confused.

* * *

The journey back felt shorter than it was. Maybe it was just Ash's excitement of being reunited with one of his best Pokemon, but the teen enjoyed talking to Charizard and Greninja.

Ash had been told stories of Trainers that preferred to live in solitude—spending time with their team more than they saw other people. Especially those that spent an eternity on an island or cave (or mountain, even), training to their heart's content and never seeing civilization.

He realized that he was becoming more and more like those Trainers.

The teen definitely didn't want that—heck, he didn't know where he'd be today without Brock and Misty, his old traveling companions—but knew that being in Kanto would drive him to do the same, sooner or later. If he traveled to another region—no—when he traveled to another region, he couldn't bring his old teammates for the fear that he'd become obstinate and refuse to diverge himself into new battling styles and culture. Plus, he'd find an island to isolate himself to and stay there for the rest of his life.

Where would be his next adventure?

Ash knew he needed a vacation. Everyone in Kalos was a little too serious and ambitious for his liking—no offense to Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, even if they looked up to a pretty bad role model—and the Trainer needed a place to relax and act younger than his age, where no one would judge him for it. He needed new people, new experiences, and new Pokemon to satisfy his thirst for adventure.

" _Hey Ash,"_ Charizard spoke up.

"Yeah?"

 _"Well,"_ the Flame Pokemon started, _"I've been thinking about this for awhile, and after my conversation with Greninja, I've decided that I finally want to come out and—"_

The Trainer laughed. "Just tell me, already."

" _Fine. But I don't want you to get offended or anything, and I understand that—"_

"Charizard, spill it."

" _Ash, how old are you?"_

The Trainer almost fell off the Fire-Type's back.

* * *

 **Done! Finally!**

 **Gosh, I spent a long time on this chapter. I especially wanted to make sure that I wrote Greninja's character in a way that you guys will enjoy. I assure you that he's not going to be a shallow character (at least, I hope not), and will probably contribute to the plot in one way or another. It'll depend on my mood, I think. And in my opinion, Greninja's just overly blunt so far. I have plans to add to his character, though...**

 **I'm still looking for art, by the way.**

 **And there's (possibly) a poll on my profile where I can try to see where I need to deliver fanservice to. Don't forget to vote (that is, if you care)!**

 **Reviews (and there are so many, too):**

 **-Pokeevee57: Time travel time!**

 **-bladetri: DX ekil**

 **-ultimateCCC: Haha, we'll just see. Serena's not done, yet.**

 **-Johnny Spectre: I feel you, bro.**

 **-MagicWarriorDragon: Agreed, Greninja is awesome.**

 **-Javana: Thank you so much! It took so long to come up with characterizations for everyone (Garchomp was hard to write at first, but you'll see some of his characterization show up later, and even a bit in this chapter). I think I'm blushing right now, haha. Maybe one day I'll reveal my inspiration for such comical and sadistic (not really) humor, but you guys'll just laugh at me...just kidding, but still. :P**

 **-Lianne: I'm as excited as you are!**

 **-Lectori Salutem: Yeah, I get that a lot. Sorry about that: I've known that my summary sucks, but never really found a better one.**

 **See you guys next time!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey, again. Thanks for the awesome feedback in the reviews (I won't be doing review time this week 'cause I know you don't read it anyway).**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

To Lance of Johto and whoever else to which it may concern,

I believe you are facing one of my friends in a week or two. He stopped by to ask for a recommendation letter the other day. _Of course,_ I agreed to write it; he's definitely qualified. And when he asked to remain anonymous, I laughed. Maybe he knows you or something. I certainly wouldn't be surprised.

The young man you are going to face is kind-hearted. He's strong in battle and believes in his Pokemon. Heck, one of his partners almost took out my Gardevoir, and they weren't even at full strength.

A month or so ago, he helped in the Lumiose City incident. You know, the one Kalos has been trying to cover up? There was even a prophecy about him and everything. And I'm glad. If he hadn't traveled to my region, the world would have ended. I heard he resisted the mind control of Lysandre and resisted against Team Flare's goal of "diminishing the human population".

Your challenger's strength is incredible. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually beat you, Lance. Anyway, just know that I won't be cheering for you in a few weeks. That challenger of yours shows promise.

Sincerely,

Diantha, Champion of Kalos

* * *

It had definitely been too long since Infernape and his team had been in any contact with their Trainer.

Noivern seemed to have gotten over his Ice-Type weakness. If anything, he now resisted the freezing temperatures that came with the chilly altitude and frosty air. Instead, the young Pokemon's boredom had begun to grow as he and Hawlucha battled harsh winds, scouting ahead in search of their destination. The Fighting and Flying-Type was definitely impressed. Even though his teammate was only a hatchling, less than a year old, he was able to keep up with everyone else, even at a huge Type disadvantage. Noivern's tremendous willpower must've come from Daddy Ash.

Daro the Tauros kept to the front of the pack, pushing ice and snow to the side with Bulldoze. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead, even in such frigid temperatures, but the Normal-Type refused to give up. There was a reason his species was regarded as some of the most stubborn in the world. Even though his pessimistic attitude remained, the Wild Bull Pokemon continued to fight against the will of Mother Nature (which was possibly Articuno, in his case) and heave at the pile of frost, making a road for his companions.

Swellow had been a designated scout for the tunnels that ran underneath the towering mountain. His Type disadvantage and the constant hail that showered upon the group didn't hold him back from defending his teammates from wild, overpowered Zubats and Graveler.

It didn't feel like Torterra had such a huge weakness to Ice-Types. He'd gotten over the freezing temperatures awhile ago, and it felt more like a resistance to him than anything. A bag of supplies and food—once full, but had recently been very light—rested under his tree. He smiled contently as he continued to use Rock Climb to dig into the hard rock, silently reminiscing about similar adventures in Sinnoh. Snowpoint City wasn't half as cold as the peak he was climbing up.

Infernape often wondered why Charizard got more glory than he did. Sure, the Fire and Fighting-Type was praised for wiping out Paul's team (revenge was sweet), but all Charizard did...was lose Ash two league tournaments and beat an Articuno. Then, he's suddenly the Trainer's supposed 'second-most powerful'. And if Infernape spoke up about it, his own teammates would criticize him for being unethical or something like that. (Except Buizel. He was cool with it.)

But as the Fire and Fighting-Type climbed the mountain with his teammates, dropping to the freezing ground—exhausted—every night, he realized the importance of everyone on his team. Even though half of them were weak to Ice (and Infernape tried not to express his discomfort whenever Noivern or Swellow suddenly couldn't keep himself in the air), everyone was important in one way or another. And it didn't matter whether Ash chose such a team on purpose or not. Infernape was content.

Plus, Charizard had recently been demoted to third. Or, that was what he'd heard…

* * *

"There!" Ash shouted into the howling wind, pointing at a small clearing in the middle of the woods. It was far from any path around, but near both Pewter City and Mount Moon. A small cliff marked the edge of the forest nearby, and Charizard set himself on it just as the sun began to rise.

" _Gotcha sir,"_ was the reply.

"Stop it," Ash chastised jokingly, smiling at the reference to Gallade.

" _Yessir."_

"How would you like me to call _you_ 'sir?'" the Trainer asked his Fire-Type.

Suddenly, he was thrown off the Pokemon's back and was sent tumbling to the forest below. With a laugh, Ash tore off his jacket and opened up his 'Aura constructs', landing a little roughly on the ground.

"I could've died," he scolded playfully, crossing his arms.

" _That's what you get for making me work when we all know you could've just flown yourself."_

From the Trainer's bag, Pikachu yawned. " _Can I actually get some sleep here?"_ he asked, poking his head out.

" _Sorry, sir,"_ Charizard joked, smirking.

" _Oh no, not_ _this_ _again,"_ the Electric-Type muttered.

* * *

"Bulbasaur, where has Greninja's pokeball gone?" Professor Oak asked.

"Bulba bulba," the Seed Pokemon replied sagely, using a vine to hold up a note.

"Oh, it seems that someone left this," the Pokemon Professor remarked, raising a hand to take the sheet of paper from the Pokemon's grasp.

Almost immediately, Heracross jumped on the Grass and Poison-Type, surprising the other Pokemon and sending the note away in the wind.

"Bulba! Bulba-saur!"

"Hera-cross?"

"Bulb-a!"

Tracey ran to the scene. "What is it?" he asked with a concerned look.

Professor Oak narrowed his eyes. "Apparently, someone stole Greninja's pokeball and left a ransom note, but it flew away."

"The pokeball or the note?"

"I'll let you decide that for yourself."

The Pokemon Watcher looked down at Bulbasaur's annoyed look. "Uh, what if Ash took Greninja out to train or something, and left us a note each time?" he surmised. "That's easier to believe than a Pokemon thief that only steals Ash's Pokemon…"

"Hmmm, that's one possibility," Oak replied, contemplating the possibility. "But Pokemon from other regions are rare in Kanto. Maybe someone that knows Ash, like Hunter J, sold them on the black market."

Tracey tried to read the look on Bulbasaur's face, which seemed to be a mixture of annoyance and fatigue.

"You could be right," the lab assistant agreed. "But really, Hunter J doesn't live in Kanto…"

Bulbasaur sighed. Something was very wrong.

* * *

"Hello, Talonflame," Professor Oak greeted the Scorching Pokemon. "Good job escaping that thief. Now if only I could understand you…"

"Talon...flame?" the bird squawked in confusion.

* * *

Snorlax was sleeping. He thought he tasted something funny as he dreamt, but he couldn't be sure. After all, he _was_ sleeping, right?

* * *

"Hey Greninja," Ash greeted his Water and Dark-Type the next morning. "Are you rested enough for another challenge?"

" _I'm always ready. Bring it on,"_ the Ninja Pokemon replied. A small but noticeable smirk was present on his face, gaining slight smiles of approval from the rest of Ash's team. " _Introduce me to my teammates."_

"Alright. Pikachu? You can do the honors. I'm going to get food and will be back in a bit."

With a wave, the Pallet Town Trainer disappeared behind the foliage, leaving the Pokemon to their silent theories on how their Trainer could ever get out of such a large forest with no one to help him.

The Electric-Type cleared his throat. " _Uh, hi."_ He turned to the other Pokemon. " _This is Greninja, and he's from the Kalos region,"_ the Mouse Pokemon introduced his teammate, before turning to Charizard.

" _Greninja, you already know Charizard, I presume."_ He moved on to the Grass-Type lounging against a tree with his signature twig hanging out of his mouth. " _Here's Sceptile, who reads twenty-four/seven and is literally an encyclopedia. He's the one that beat Darkrai."_

The Water and Dark-Type nodded, impressed. " _I see."_

" _And I beat Articuno,"_ Charizard interjected.

Pikachu crossed his paws at the Fire and Flying-Type before continuing. " _This is Garchomp: he's from Sinnoh. I've never tasted his cooking, but Sceptile says that it's pretty good."_

The Electric-Type then pointed to a bouncing Normal-Type and a Psychic and Fighting-Type that hadn't moved from a bowing position.

" _And here are Ash's new captures,"_ Pikachu introduced. " _Gallade and Vivi."_

" _Hello, Mr. Greninja,"_ the Eevee greeted politely and enthusiastically.

" _Vivi's literally like ten Types—"_

" _Nine,"_ Sceptile corrected his teammate.

" _Nine Types,"_ Pikachu continued, giving the Forest Pokemon an annoyed look, " _and Gallade likes to become a Gardevoir and beat Ash up like that whenever they spar."_

The Ninja Pokemon was sure he understood none of the Electric-Type's ramblings.

" _Now,"_ Gallade spoke up, releasing himself from his previously bowed position. " _Telleth us about yourself."_

" _U-uh,"_ Greninja stuttered. " _Like Pikachu said, I'm from Kalos…and—"_

" _He turns into Ash-Greninja when he synchronizes with our Trainer,"_ Pikachu summarized _. "Basically, he Mega Evolves without Mega Evolving."_

" _That's liketh, merit,"_ Gallade remarked. He was impressed.

" _Uh, thanks."_

" _He means, 'That's cool,'"_ Vivi translated.

" _Yeah, I know. But I don't understand why—"_

" _I'm not actually from that part of Kalos,"_ the Blade Pokemon admitted with a wink. " _Lumiose City, actually."_

" _I didn't know you came from Lumiose,"_ Pikachu spoke up.

" _Of course_ _you did. You knew I was friends with Professor Sycamore's Garchomp."_

" _I did?"_

" _We did?"_ Garchomp echoed.

" _Sceptile,"_ the Hoenn Starter introduced himself to Greninja, interrupting the slight argument and shaking hands with the new face. " _Nice to meet you. I've heard stories about you."_

" _T-thanks. I've heard stories about you, too,"_ the Water and Dark-Type lied.

" _Uh, I'm Garchomp,"_ the Dragon and Ground-Type spoke up, walking over to his new teammate. " _Don't worry. We get along when we're not training,"_ he assured the Ninja Pokemon.

Greninja looked around at the lively pack of new faces and saw that their will to battle was just as strong as his own. Some of the team members were visibly stronger than himself—not that he'd admit it—and before meeting Charizard, the Water and Dark-Type didn't know that Ash had experienced, veteran Pokemon other than Pikachu. The Ninja Pokemon knew he should've expected that—there was no way his Trainer was a beginner—but to be honest, he never really thought about it beforehand.

Nevertheless, it met his expectations, tenfold.

* * *

"What's this?" Oak asked, taking the crumpled piece of paper from the Bulbasaur. "Is it important?"

"Bulba, bulba! Bulba-saur!"

The Pokemon Professor stared at the Grass-Type in confusion before realizing that the note smelled funny and was slightly crumpled as if it had been recently dried off. There were a few flakes of Pokemon food stuck to it, which made the old man want to throw up. He stuck the note into his pocket, telling himself that once the Bulbasaur Pokemon leaves, the note would find a new home in the trash can right away.

* * *

Channel Four had always been the prominent station in the Pokemon Center. The anchorwoman was always extremely blunt, earning the favor of many liberalists that made up the majority of the Pokemon Trainer population.

"Police are scanning the ruins of the recently-discovered Team Rocket Headquarters, who have not been seen ever since a couple of Gym Leaders escaped from the base awhile ago. Officer Maurice Jenny has reported that all of the captured Team Rocket members had been tied up with either red or blue cable ties. Investigators are still on the scene, but evidence shows that a thousand of Team Rocket helicopters were brought down that night with various Pokemon attacks ranging from Flamethrower to Hyper Beam."

"They're just trying to make this sound exciting," May remarked, yawning. "They probably already know what happened."

Dawn nodded, putting down her novel on a plain-looking, wooden desk to the side of the other hotel bed. "I heard Gary was kidnapped too," she said. "Professor Oak went berzerk."

"That sounds just like him."

"Gym Leaders report being saved by two men in cloaks, _Red_ and _Blue_. Gym Leader Gary Oak mentioned a rescue from a helicopter he was in, saying that he was lifted out of the cargo area and placed on the ground by nothing visible. Pokemon Doctor Brock Harrison reports being bailed out of a prison cell by _Blue_ and a Pokemon named 'Mewtwo'. We will try to find out more, so stay tuned! This is Reporter Kinsey, and you are watching Channel 4: Jubilife News!"

The Hoenn Coordinator sighed in relief. "At least everyone's okay."

* * *

Greninja sat in a low-hanging branch after his training session, enjoying the warm, Kanto breeze that shook the leaves ever so slightly. In his palms, a rectangular box shone dimly with an unnatural light.

The Water and Dark-Type looked up from his strange device. His time away from Ash had made him bored, to the point that he'd sought out some help from a few Klefki he once saved. In return for his help, they gifted him with the strange present of gratitude.

He pressed a button.

The device was otherworldly—there was no doubt about that. If such a thing existed in Greninja's world, Trainers would lose their will to travel. (Besides Ash, that is. The unorthodox Trainer was always the exception to everything.) He narrowed his eyes, squinting at the pattern of black and white.

The Water-Type pressed another button, holding it down as the figure on the other side of the screen moved according to his instructions. Right, right, up, A…

" _Hi, I like shorts,"_ Greninja read the words on his screen aloud, " _they're easy and comfy to wear."_

* * *

The Pokemon Center was a scary place for Ash. Ever since Lance announced a public challenge, people have become intrigued. Surely his first recommendation letter wasn't too over-the-top? Diantha probably exaggerated about him with something like, "He helped me save the world a month or so ago", and although that wasn't technically wrong, it still made the Trainer a bit uncomfortable.

After healing half his team (having seven Pokemon would raise suspicion), the Trainer proceeded to reserve a telephone line for himself. He needed a few more recommendation letters.

His Garchomp and Pikachu stood behind him, fighting to get a good look at the screen in front of them.

The Trainer turned around. "Relax, guys. They'll think I'm weird if you two are glaring at each other in the background.

 _"Sorry,"_ the Mach Pokemon apologized and proceeded to kneel on the left side of his Trainer. Pikachu went on his right shoulder.

* * *

"Hey, Brandon!" Ash greeted, waving.

"Oh, it's you," the Frontier Brain spoke up, nodding in respect. "I see your Pikachu is doing well, and you've acquired a Garchomp."

" _Hey,"_ the Dragon and Ground-Type greeted, lifting up a claw.

Ash chuckled, massaging the nape of his neck—a habit he'd picked up awhile ago. "So I'm not sure if you heard, but I need a recommendation letter for my upcoming challenge against the Elite Four…" he trailed off.

The surprise on the Pyramid King's face was enough to make the teen shrug sheepishly, embarrassment coloring his face.

* * *

" _That went well,"_ Pikachu remarked.

" _I'm glad he agreed to write that letter,"_ Garchomp added on.

Ash shook his head. "I was so scared that he would decline."

" _He'll probably write about how I took out a legendary,"_ the Electric-Type commented.

"Yeah, sure. I just need to get Cynthia or something, and Lance would surely take me seriously. It'd be embarrassing if I was annihilated without much of a fight." The Trainer turned to face his Starter. "Of course, I'd blame it on you."

" _Thanks."_

Garchomp chuckled. " _Hey, that's not very nice,"_ he chastised lightly.

"Let's call Gary first to check up on him; _then_ we can move on to Cynthia," Ash suggested, ignoring his Pokemon's remark. "And if she's not there, I'll just have to ask Steven or that Drake guy from the Orange Islands."

" _Sounds good to me,"_ the Dragon-Type agreed.

* * *

Electivire answered the call. _"What's up?"_ he asked.

" _We just wanted to check up on Gary,"_ Pikachu answered. " _We certainly didn't expect to see your stupid-looking face instead."_

" _What the ****, rodent!"_ the other Electric-Type cursed. "I swear: when you come back I'll—"

" _LANGUAGE!"_ Garchomp suddenly roared, loud enough to the point where the people and Pokemon in the Center turned around and stared.

"Can you keep you Pokemon quiet, sir?" Nurse Joy shouted from the counter.

"Sorry!" Ash yelled back.

The Trainer turned to the three Pokemon. "Uh, we'll call you back, Electivire," he promised. "I'll need to switch Pokemon Centers before she asks me for my Trainer ID."

" _No problem. And as for the rodent, you better not be such a dumb**—"_

" _LANGUAGE!"_

* * *

It was long past midnight, but Ash had insisted on continuing their training session. The Trainer had convinced that Lorelei was probably going to 'kick his butt' and was determined to prepare. With the supplies he bought, the teen was able to convince the team to jog together around the base of Mount Moon. Charizard and Garchomp were prohibited from using their flight, and no moves (like Quick Attack) were allowed.

" _Hey, Greninja,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type greeted the Ninja Pokemon. " _How do you like the training so far?"_ he asked.

" _I know you're just trying to make conversation with me. You don't actually care about how much I like training."_

" _Ouch," the_ Flame Pokemon replied. " _You're blunt, ya know?"_

Greninja shrugged, wanting to conserve his breath. It was much harder for him to jog than to jump from place to place, and his underused muscles were getting sore.

" _Mr. Garchomp!"_ Vivi called out to the Dragon and Ground-Type, " _what are we having for supper tonight?"_

" _I'm trying out a new soup recipe. What do you think?"_

" _Yay!"_ the Normal-Type cheered.

" _He's scary when he's mad,"_ the Water and Dark-Type heard the Flame Pokemon whisper just loud enough for him to hear.

Gallade fell into step with Greninja and Charizard. " _Bonjour,"_ he greeted.

" _Hi,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type replied, waving a clawed hand.

" _Hello,"_ Greninja echoed, emulating the Flame Pokemon's gesture.

" _You should race,"_ the Psychic and Fighting-Type suggested, grinning deviously. " _Pikachu would hate you for it."_

 _"Yeah, go do that,"_ the Ninja Pokemon replied before his teammate could agree. " _Run out of stamina so you'll never make it back to the campsite. Charizard can have your serving."_

" _You're terribly blunt,"_ the Blade Pokemon remarked with a slightly defeated look.

" _Hey Greninja,"_ Charizard suddenly spoke up.

" _Hmmm?"_

" _Do you mind if I ask a question?"_

The Ninja Pokemon shook his head. " _You just asked me one,"_ he pointed out.

" _I was just wondering; since you know Ash so well and stuff, and since you do that fusion thing where your minds interconnect and do that cool synchro thing—"_

" _Charizard, just ask me already,"_ Greninja interrupted with an exasperated look on his face.

" _How old is Ash?"_

 _"…"_

Sceptile poked his head between the Fire-Type and the Water-Type. " _That's a good question,"_ he said.

* * *

 **So. Yeah.**

 **I'm still looking for art, and life's still busy.**

 **Yeah, I'm not feeling like replying to all those comments. Sorry. Tell me if you guys would rather have me PM you or continue the reviews.**

 **See you next time,**

 **Crestilia ;P**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey! Sorry for not updating last week. I had a contest. (Terrible excuse, I know.)**

 **In addition, I'm thankful that you guys are okay with me stalling out this fanfiction because I don't really want to edit the following battles. Strategies are so hard to write out...(and the ones I wrote in 8th grade were pretty bad).**

 **Here is an extra-long review time to make up for the past two chapters.**

 **Lectori Salutem: Is it better now? Thanks for your help! And I'll keep your suggestions in mind!**

 **ultimateCCC: We'll never know...**

 **Johnny Spectre: Hahaha. I'm a jerk, aren't I... xP**

 **MalayTheDynamo: AHHHHHH!**

 **Brosiff: I searched up Pokemon Outlaw a week ago. Never thought I'd be so similar to a ROM hack. Guess what I'm doing over Spring Break...**

 **Pokeevee57: I hope Ash gets to meet Nathaniel. Have you watched the first movie?**

 **LuckyKittens: Unfortunately, I'm a terrible person, so Ash'll have to keep stalling the inevitable.**

 **bladetri: xD xD**

 **Lianne: I'm never bored of your reviews. They always encourage me to write more (especially after I check my grades :P)!**

 **multyfangirl18: Thanks for your comment! I'm glad (and sorry) that my story kept you up so late. Don't worry, the Poke-thief has his way of getting around without being caught. He'll be back. Meanwhile, Gary's field of research is...debatable.**

 **Noxlux013: Thank you! Unfortunately, I'm trying to stall that Elite Four challenge because my battle writing is pretty...uh...yeah. I just keep adding more and more scenes that are probably irrelevant... :P**

* * *

" _There it is!"_ Swellow exclaimed. " _The peak!"_

Daro the Tauros shook his head. " _You're just hallucinating aga…"_ He trailed off mid-sentence, eyes widening at the sight of the pinnacle of their journey.

It was Hawlucha who spoke up next.

" _Dang."_

Mount Silver had been conquered.

Time to get to work.

* * *

" _Ash! Ash Ash As—"_

"Whadda-ya-want?" Ash muttered groggily, groaning a little as the Eevee continued to hop on the Trainer's stomach in excitement.

" _It's training tim—"_

"Alright, I'm getting up…"

Ash couldn't decline an opportunity to train. Especially when it was—he peered outside his tent—around four in the morning.

Yep. He was going to get chastised by Greninja for his inability to keep to his own schedule.

"Is everyone else up?" the teen asked his Normal-Type. The sky was shimmering with stars that night, and a quarter moon lit the peaceful-looking clearing.

" _Yep! They just finished their warm-up!"_

Ash stood up and proceeded to put away his supplies in the messenger bag (it didn't really matter how it was physically possible to fit a tent in it). With a sigh, he looked over to the Evolution Pokemon and covered a yawn with a free hand. Vivi pointed into the distance, where the Trainer could just barely see the glow of Charizard's flame.

He shook himself awake, rubbing his eyes and picking up the Eevee. "Okay, okay. I'm awake now."

A few seconds of silence passed as the Trainer proceeded to set up a table with his free hand.

" _Ash?"_ Vivi spoke up.

"Yeah?"

" _Is Garchomp cooking again?"_ the Normal-Type asked.

The teen tried to hide his flush of embarrassment. He knew that his cooking was bad; there was no need to remind him about it, especially by his own Pokemon. (Though his stew was decent from watching Brock, Cilan, and Clemont, in _his_ opinion.)

"I'm sure Garchomp would love to cook again."

Vivi jumped out of Ash's arms. " _Yay!"_

With a flash, the Eevee sped off with a Quick Attack.

* * *

Gallade and Greninja were excellent sparring partners. Even though the Blade Pokemon had a slight advantage—the Psychic and Fighting-Type was particularly proud of his Close Combat—the other Pokemon was still able to keep up, even at five in the morning.

"Garchomp, Earthquake!" Ash yelled. "Everyone else, jump!"

As the ground started to tremble, and as shockwaves started to cover the field, Pikachu used Magnet Rise to lift himself off the ground and into a Volt Tackle at Charizard, who had shot up into the air. Vivi used Psychic to lift herself up. Greninja used Hydro Pump at the ground, with Gallade following him, Teleporting through the air. Sceptile looked around for inspiration, then shot into the air with Leaf Storm.

"Garchomp, keep jumping up and down. Then attack with Draco Meteor!"

The Dragon and Ground-Type wasted no time in shooting a ball of energy into the sky, where Greninja was being fervently chased by a cackling Gardevoir. ( _"Thou cannot escapeth mine blade, you churlish, raw-boned frogget!"_ ) Ash, who was gliding in circles above his team and providing light with an Aura Sphere, had to dodge one of the fiery meteors that had strayed from their original path.

Sceptile speeded past the Trainer with a Quick Attack-Leaf Blade combination, cutting up the glowing spheres.

"Alright! I'm turning off the light!" the teen announced. "Garchomp, Draco Meteor! Again!"

As the sky momentarily lit up with Dragon-Type energy, Ash had to spin away from another attack. An explosion woke up half of the Pokemon in the nearby forest, and the Trainer made a note to himself to apologize in the morning.

" _Wherefore doest my fate befall me…"_

* * *

As Ash disappeared into the forest to appease some angry Beedrill that morning, the rest of the team sat around the folding table (no one knew how Ash managed to carry around a table, tent, sleeping bag and _Pikachu_ with relatively no problem—except Pikachu, of course—but nobody questioned it by then), watching Garchomp stir something in a pot.

 _"I have cards,"_ Greninja spoke up, lifting a pack. _"Stole 'em from Noivern before we went back to Kanto."_ he turned to Pikachu. _"Anyone want to play?"_

 _"Let's bet on food portions,"_ Pikachu decided. _"I'm in."_

 _"What type of deck is that?"_ Sceptile asked, drumming his fingers on the table and letting a twig hang from the corner of his mouth.

 _"TCG."_

 _"Alright,"_ the Grass-Type agreed.

Charizard smirked. _"Sceptile hasn't beaten me in months,"_ he bragged. _"Count me in."_

 _"How do you play?"_ Vivi asked, jumping onto a nearby log to see the cards.

Garchomp turned to the Eevee from his pot. _"Gambling is bad,"_ he remarked.

 _"You're a terrible sport,"_ Pikachu quipped, laughing aloud.

 _"She should play for Ash,"_ Charizard suggested. _"Then she won't have to lose anything."_

 _"I'll just watch,"_ Gallade spoke up. _"They don't play this in Kalos."_ He turned to Greninja, who was twirling the card deck in his hand. _"I mean, not where I come from."_

 _"I'm from Lumiose City too, you know,"_ the Ninja Pokemon asserted.

 _"Shhh…"_

* * *

That morning, Ash wondered why Pikachu, Sceptile, Charizard, and Greninja seemed a bit fatigued as they trained with each other.

His suspicion ended when Vivi declared her passion for gambling during the lunch break.

* * *

 _"Hey, Sceptile."_

The Grass-Type didn't look up from a book. "What do you want, Charizard?"

 _"What does 'edgy' mean?"_

 _"Anxious, nervous, or apprehensive,"_ the Forest Pokemon replied, looking up at the Fire and Flying-Type and putting down his novel and sticking his twig in it as a bookmark. _"Why?"_

 _"Greninja said it. Then he called himself a 'wannabe_ edgelord _.'"_

 _"I don't think the word was used correctly,"_ Sceptile thought aloud. _"Is it a new slang thing, like 'Arceus forbid' or 'screw you?' Teens these days…"_ he trailed off, sighing.

Charizard shrugged. _"I heard that he got access to the black market. But then again, it's just a rumor."_

 _"That lucky kid. I thought Palkia banned them centuries ago. Something about a Human that turned into a Pokemon in another universe; at least, that's what I heard."_

* * *

Gary and Umbreon scrolled through Ash's Sinnoh Pokedex, which had been acquired from 'gramps' as soon as the Gym Leader promised that he wouldn't break it.

"So Arceus can be identified as the creator of the world while Dialga and Palkia obviously represent time and space. So what does Giratina represent? It was named the _Renegade_ Pokemon by Professor Westwood, but Ash told me that he made up some of the Pokedex entries because most of his work was from collected data," the Researcher remarked, writing some information down in his notebook.

" _Giratina was said to have been forgotten in the Original Story,"_ Umbreon added in. " _He later made peace with the world but is still known to almost no one."_

"You know, Ash rode on his back once. At least, I think he did."

" _You're kidding me!"_

The Pokemon paused as he noticed something. " _Wait. Gary, stop scrolling."_

"Huh?" the Trainer asked.

" _This here says that Giratina's powers were opposites of Dialga's and Palkia's."'_

"So you're telling me that Giratina is more like a reflection. Like chaos is to order, or another dimension. Antimatter. Something like that?"

The Dark-Type jumped up on Gary's lap _. "Maybe."_

"Okay, I guess that makes sense. I'll just ask Ash later. Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie are easy to find out, though."

" _Hey Gary,"_ Umbreon piped up after a while, pointing at the computer screen again, " _This says that touching Mespirit will make you lose your emotions."_

"How do you know?"

" _Mom used to tell me these myths all the time. She said that this particular myth referred to the Lake Trio."_

"Wait, really? I thought—" Gary paused. "Well, I guess Mesprit allowed Dawn to touch her; that would be logical." At the Researcher's words, Umbreon nodded.

"And as for that part about Azelf, I don't know. We haven't gotten reports from police about Team Galactic in a long time, although I could ask," Gary suggested.

" _Oooh, and don't forget: never refer to Arceus as 'god,'"_ Umbreon reminded his Trainer.

"Why?"

" _Have you not seen the Peeko dogmatists? The Helix extremists? Or the Mew-fanatics?"_

"...No. I just assumed that everyone knew who Arceus is," Gary replied, bemused.

The Dark-Type shook his head, pointing to the Pokedex. " _You didn't even know he existed until you went to Sinnoh."_

"Good point. I'll keep that in mind," Gary conceded.

* * *

"Hello?"

The Gym Leader looked up from scolding her Psyduck and went to the front door to greet her guest. As she opened the door to the lobby, a girl with wavy, blonde hair that fell just above her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled a cerulean blue, and she wore a strange combination of pink, black and white, complete with a blue ribbon centerpiece. A foxlike, Fire-Type Pokemon trailed behind her, looking around the Gym in reverence and a bit of excitement.

"Oh, hello!" Misty greeted. "Sorry, but I'm not supposed to take challenges until tomorrow. Who are you?"

The girl smiled shyly. "I'm Serena, and this is Braixen," she gestured to the Pokemon, "and—um—we were wondering if you know Ash from Pallet Town."

There were a few seconds of an awkward silence before Misty laughed aloud, walking up to the fair-skinned girl. "I'm Misty, the Gym Leader here…although I think you already know that. And as for your question…I _do_ know him. We used to travel together when he was a stupid rookie."

"Really?" the Kalos Trainer asked, unsure if she believed the other girl. Ash…stupid? No correlation. Maybe she meant 'dense.' Ah, that's it; surely Misty would—

"If putting a Pikachu against a Cubone isn't stupid, I don't know what is," the Gym Leader recounted, reminiscing about her adventures with a smile, which contagiously spread to both the other girl and her Pokemon.

Serena giggled a little. "Did he win?"

"Surprisingly, yes. That girl was a horrible person, too. Good riddance."

"Uh…" Serena didn't want to pry, "do you know where he is?"

"Nope. He disappeared off the map a month or two ago, but that's okay; we all know he's going to come back in a few years, ranked as one of the best Trainers in another region we've never heard before."

"So, I shouldn't worry?" the Pokemon Performer asked.

"Of course not," Misty assured, glaring at the Psyduck that was inches away from falling into the pool—again. "It'll get you nowhere. Besides, Ash always turns out alive. At least, he does in the end, but whatever…"

It wasn't very convincing, but Serena accepted the answer anyway.

Ash wasn't around Cerulean either…

It was a bit sad to think that her worry started when the Trainer stopped returning her texts over Pokegear. And his mom was just as apathetic about him as Misty was.

Serena was missing something…

* * *

"Greninja, I want you to spar with me."

" _Ash? No offense, but I'm afraid that you will get hurt if we spar."_

" _Wait, you haven't heard?"_ Pikachu asked, engaging in an electric brawl with a hyperactive Jolteon.

" _Heard what?"_

" _He's heard,"_ Charizard called out as he tried to Seismic Toss his training partner, Sceptile, but was pounded to the ground with, well, a Pound.

"You know I can use Aura, right?"

" _Yeah."_

"It kind of gives me an advantage over you 'cause Aura Sphere is a Fighting-Type move, and you're a Dark-Type," the Trainer explained. "It'll be perfectly fine; I spar with Pikachu every other day."

" _I have a feeling you're not telling me everything,"_ Greninja remarked.

" _He's convinced that Ash isn't feeling well,"_ Pikachu muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Garchomp to hear. " _I mean, he's probably right, 'cause that hand problem isn't going away, but still…"_

"Think of it as a challenge," Ash insisted. "You have to think on your feet during the challenge, no?"

" _I see. Well, bring it on."_

* * *

" _Say that some of the information came from personal experience,"_ Umbreon suggested.

"Why?" the Pokemon Researcher asked.

" _You were in Sinnoh when the Team Galactic thing happened, right?"_

Gary nodded, turning to his keyboard. "True, although most of this comes from Ash."

" _Then write that down too."_

* * *

"Blindfold training," Ash announced, raising his left hand, which held seven colored scarves. "If none of the Elite Four uses Sand Attack or Sandstorm, they're probably a hoax."

" _Uh, how are we supposed to see?"_ Charizard asked as his Trainer proceeded to tie the pieces of fabric around the eyes of each member of the team.

" _You don't,"_ Sceptile replied.

" _You're such a big help."_

"By adding impediments to the field, the Elite Four Members give the Trainer a disadvantage, too. That's why I'm also training with this," Ash explained, carefully tying scarves over the eyes of his Pokemon with a bit of trouble (his palms were still healing…and useless).

"This exercise isn't really that hard if you haven't been relying on sight in your battles," he continued. "Maybe I'll even give you a daily run with those." The Trainer smirked almost evilly. "Now, attack."

" _Attack who?"_ Garchomp asked, trying not to crash into anything (or anyone) important.

"Charizard and Garchomp, Sceptile and Gallade, Vivi and Greninja. Pikachu, with me." Ash turned on his Aura Sight, spotting his opponent, who was sniffing the air with a confused expression plastered on his face.

"Go!" the Trainer shouted.

" _Hello?"_ Charizard asked, before trying a Flamethrower.

"EARTHQUAKE!" his sparring partner announced, managing to injure his opponent (as well as everyone else in the clearing) before Charizard decided to take his chances with repeatedly using Aerial Ace, even though half of his attempts were stopped by a Draco Meteor.

Sceptile and Gallade hadn't even hit each other yet. They were busy waiting for the other to make a sound.

* * *

In Sinnoh, a videophone rang, alerting a few drowsy office workers.

"Hello? I have an appointment with this police station concerning the whereabouts of Team Galactic."

"Name?" Officer Daria Jenny asked.

"Gary Oak: Gym Leader of Viridian City," the Pokemon Researcher replied, instinctively reaching down to pet the Umbreon resting on his lap. "I'm researching Legendary Pokemon, and could use some information on the aftereffects of the events at Mount Coronet a few years ago."

The police officer nodded. "Okay. I'll send our available files to your Gym. Thank you for calling."

* * *

Vivi used Extrasensory, then turned into Jolteon and charged with a Volt Tackle. Greninja barely was able to dodge; the other Pokemon had come into contact with his left leg earlier on, and it still stung a bit.

* * *

"Clemont, I've found a—"

"Bonnie, where did _she_ come from?"

"I have to admit," Jesselina remarked, looking around the Gym, "you live in a _snazzy_ place."

* * *

Ash was in Saffron City for the afternoon, followed by his loyal Greninja and Sylveon, who were the winners of the blindfold tournament that had been held the day before (honestly, Vivi was cheating and Greninja was…Greninja), so they were rewarded with a small excursion to the big city in order to buy training weights while the others stayed at the campsite to train in accuracy.

The city had grown even more since the last time the Trainer visited. Large skyscrapers towered over the people, Pokemon ran around between the alleyways, and open-air markets sold fresh fruit and vegetables to whoever walked by. Vivi, in Sylveon form, grabbed the Water and Dark-Type's hand with a ribbon, dragging him around to see the various sights of the city. Ash couldn't blame her—the Fairy-Type had probably only been to a city _one_ other time in her life.

A shop displaying flatscreens depicted a news segment about a Tangela styler. The Trainer let his two Pokemon wander toward the store as he bargained with a woman selling jewelry for Mega Stones.

"Are you here to buy?" the lady asked, gesturing to a stack of armbands, necklaces, collars, rings, and scarves.

"Uh, yes," Ash replied. "I'll need five stone holders for a Charizard, Sceptile, Garchomp, Gallade, and Gardevoir. Is that okay?"

The woman's eyes widened, but she immediately hid her surprise with a laugh. "Five is a bit much," she remarked. "You must be a good Trainer."

Ash shook his head politely as he picked up an armband. "Nah. I still have much to learn, ma'am." He pointed to the ornate design on a wristband. "How do these work?" he asked.

The woman chuckled. "A Mega Stone converts its matter into energy, you see," she explained. "Our jewelry is designed to mimic that effect by emulating the atomic structure of the stone that correlates with the Mega Stone of a certain energy signature. By finding the specific wavelength of each stone, we can—"

"Sorry," Ash interrupted with a sheepish look. "I'm already lost." He moved his hand to the nape of his neck with a sheepish grin. "But I heard that since your jewelry is handmade, it has better quality than even Devon Corporation's stone-holders."

The woman shook her head, smiling. "You're just flattering me. Actually, you know what? I'll give you these for half the price. We have a deal?"

* * *

" _Ash! We're on TV!"_ Vivi exclaimed, and Greninja, feeling like a father, was pushed towards another electronics store where a few people were standing and talking amongst themselves.

"And an anonymous Trainer is taking on the Elite Four Challenge, facing off against Kanto's best and brightest: Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha and Lance, who has been undefeated for ongoing 29 years of being Kanto's Champion. Join us in two days as we will cover—live—another battle for the titles of 'Kanto Champion' and 'Pokemon Master.'"

"Now for other news. The Silver Conference will once again be held next week at the base of Mount Silver, where…"

" _I thought our match was next week,"_ Greninja thought aloud as he exchanged puzzled looks with his Trainer and teammate.

" _Honestly, me too,"_ Ash spoke using Aura to both Pokemon.

" _Then we'll have to train harder!"_ Vivi exclaimed in joy, encouraging both the Trainer and the other Pokemon.

" _It seems like we've gained some publicity,"_ the Water and Dark-Type remarked.

Ash shrugged. " _I guess my recommendation letters were good enough."_

" _Diantha, Cynthia, and Brandon. They're a good bunch."_

Vivi jumped into her Trainer's arms, ignoring the strangled grunt that escaped in an attempt to balance a box of dumbbells, a bag of Mega Stone jewelry, and a Sylveon. " _This will be fun!"_

A Poochyena trotted by, casually listening to the commotion around her. When she heard the conversation between two foreign Pokemon, she stared at the trio near the TV shop before deciding that the Trainer was too young to be even half as experienced as Lorelei.

* * *

 **Yes, I know this is a 'short' chapter. It's not Winter Break anymore, you know. I have tests and homework now. (:P)**

 **Whew. Those comments were awesome to write. Thank you so much!**

 ** _Fanservice Announcement:_ I have a poll on my profile that asks about your favorite character in the story. When you guys vote, it gives me a better understanding of who you would like to see in the future. Plus, it'll make me feel like a better person.**

 **Haha. That last episode of Sun and Moon made me laugh so hard. It reminds me of Team 7 from Naruto (Litten=Sasuke, Popplio=Sakura, Naruto=Rowlet). Meowth or Stoutland can be Kakashi or something. :P And the facial expressions...(that one scene with Team Rocket was hilarious).**

 **Will Ash be able to prepare for the league in two days?**

 **Find out next time!**

 **~Crestilia**


	26. Chapter 26

**ALOLA!**

 **Let's begin with some reviews! (I'm on break so my chapters will be a little longer than usual.)**

 **ultimateCCC: I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!**

 **Lectori Salutem: Thank you for your review! I'll see about that (when I stop being lazy, that is).**

 **bladetri: :P**

 **Lianne: I made sure Ash was likable. Although he may seem smarter (ahaha what? Did I say something?), he still has that fun feel that I really enjoy writing. And it's okay to like Ash (he's my favorite too). And as for the Sun and Moon series...I screenshot those facial expressions. :P**

 **multyfangirl18: You'll just have to see. Serena's pretty cool. Are you an amourshipper?**

 **Noxlux013: (Do you play League of Legends? Your pen name...) You'll see. But Ash has a way of teaching his Pokemon more than four moves, remember? "Just think Slash and add some evilness to it" or, "Just tie a knot on the grass and hope he steps on it."**

* * *

Ash crossed his arms, watching Sceptile stare intently at a checkerboard of sixty-four alternating, black and white squares that formed out of what seemed to be marble. On one side of the board, a majestic statue of Reshiram stood, staring at an equally intimidating Zekrom. Figures of different Pokemon dotted the field, opposing each other in hues that reflected the colors of the game board. On the Zekrom side, Nidoking and Nidoqueen faced a Gallade and Gardevoir that posed intensely in front of the Dragon of Truth.

"What's this?" the Trainer asked, waving a bandaged hand at the Bisharp, Chesnaught, and Escavalier that stood to the right of the miniature Gallade.

" _Chess-Naught,"_ Charizard replied, sighing as Sceptile moved a Pawniard figurine forward onto a black square. The Grass-Type tapped the back of Zekrom's head, and an analog clock in the Dragon of Ideals' hand stopped running. On the opposite side, time started moving for the Fire-Type.

"How do you play?" Ash asked.

" _It's strategy. You wouldn't understand,"_ Greninja deadpanned, joining the conversation as he watched the game from a tree trunk that provided the players some shade.

"You're awfully blunt, you know," Ash grumbled, although a grin shone on his face. "And mean. Who do you think wins us our battles?"

" _I was joking."_

"I know that!"

" _Socially awkward…"_ Charizard whispered to his rival.

" _Says you,"_ Sceptile quipped, smirking as the Fire and Flying-Type moved a Bisharp diagonally onto a white square. The piece hit a white…Pokemon that Ash had never seen before, and the Flame Pokemon laughed as he took the figurine out of the game and onto the side where two Pawniards and a Chesnaught stood.

Gallade Teleported next to Charizard. " _You should watch how you're handling that set,"_ he suggested. " _Because—"_

" _Yeah, I know,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type replied. " _They're fragile. You said that twenty seconds ago."_

" _I cannot help but worry ov'r mine precious—"_

" _This is Gallade's set,"_ the Forest Pokemon explained, interrupting the antics of his teammate. " _We're just borrowing it."_

" _Aren't you supposed to call out the names of the squares, like 'Nidoqueen to B7' or something?"_ Greninja asked.

" _We are?"_ Charizard asked. " _Eh, whatever."_

"You still haven't taught me how to play," Ash spoke up, looking down on the board. "Who's winning? Better yet, what's _this_ Pokemon?" he asked, pointing to a black, castle-like Pokemon that stood on the right side of the Fire and Flying-Type's board.

" _I dunno,"_ Greninja replied.

" _I've seen it in a book before…"_ Sceptile trailed off.

" _Tis called a Sandygast,'"_ Gallade said. " _You know, I would have at least expected_ _Ash_ _to know what that—"_

" _Oh!"_ Charizard exclaimed in excitement, moving the piece—Sandygast—forward by four squares to take out an Escavalier.

Sceptile muttered something under his breath.

"What does _that_ do?" Ash asked, pointing to the Calvary Pokemon.

" _It's the equivalent of Sandygast on the Reshiram side,"_ Greninja explained. " _Even I would know that from wat—"_

"It seems like all you want to do is insult me today," Ash interrupted, chuckling, which made the Water and Dark-Type smile.

" _You made me do push-ups this morning."_

"I don't see anything wrong with that."

" _They're oddly similar,"_ Charizard whispered to Sceptile, leaning over the board. " _They even stand the same way."_

" _True. It's really strange,"_ the Grass-Type agreed.

* * *

 **For future reference:**

 **King: Nidoking/Gallade**

 **Queen: Nidoqueen/Gardevoir**

 **Bishop: Bisharp**

 **Knight: Chesnaught**

 **Rook: Sandygast/Escavalier**

 **Pawns: Pawniard**

* * *

" _Hmmm. It seems like Azelf was merciful,"_ Electivire reported, chuckling. " _Only the Team Galactic Admins have become stupid, drooling shells."_

"Thanks, Electivire," Gary called from the computer before turning to his Dark-Type. "Umbreon, is Ho-oh related to Lugia?"

" _Sort of. Finish your section about the creation of the Universe and we can move on to the Kanto-Johto regions."_

A small _ding_ rang from the front of the Gym.

"And it looks like another Trainer has made it. Nidoqueen, Dodrio, Alakazam! I need your assistance!"

Dodrio speeded in. " _Is it another Pokemon Myth? You know how I hate those…"_

" _No, silly,"_ Nidoqueen replied, shaking her head. " _Gary needs us for a Gym Battle."_

" _Oh, right."_

* * *

Gary collapsed on his bed with a sigh of exhaustion. After his short reprieve from work (more like, vacation with Ash), the Gym Leader had been expecting to come back to his dissertation with a refreshed point of view, but all he could find were grammar mistakes and spelling errors.

"Nidoqueen! Have you edited my papers yet?" the Pokemon Researcher yelled across the Gym.

Said Poison and Ground-Type walked casually into the room. " _I did last night's work. Isn't it Rhydon's turn?"_

"He's on a strike 'cause I called him fat yesterday. You'll have to do it instead."

The Drill Pokemon scoffed. " _You know how sensitive he is about his weight! That was uncalled for!"_

"Sorry," Gary sheepishly replied, throwing the covers over his face. The wind from the ceiling fan brushed some papers onto the floor, and the teen didn't have the heart to put them back.

" _I'm sure he'll forgive you,"_ Nidoqueen spoke up. " _Just apologize."_

"Can I do it tomorrow?"

" _No. Act like a professor and go get him."_

Gary pulled himself out of his bed, almost stumbling as he realized that he had pulled an all-nighter…and then some. He needed to sleep.

The door chime rang throughout the building, signaling the arrival of a challenger.

"I just want my Ph.D.," he mumbled, trying to keep his caffeinated body from shaking. "Is that too much to ask for?"

* * *

"So apparently, our match is the day after tomorrow," Ash explained, "so I brought us some training weights! They're pretty decent in size, so it should give you guys a challenge."

" _You carry Larvitars,"_ Pikachu commented. " _I think we all agree that we're not going to survive this."_

"Oh, you'll have no problem," the teen reassured his Starter with a cheeky grin.

The rest of Ash's team knew what the Electric-Type was talking about. Their Trainer was frighteningly strong for an adolescent Human. Sceptile's theory was a mixture of Aura, carrying a backpack—that consisted of a table—and a Pikachu everywhere, as well as the fact that Ash walked from Gym to Gym through the countryside (and got lost many times), unlike many other Trainers that usually stayed in large cities or never strayed off the paths when traveling through forests.

At the suspicious looks of his Pokemon, Ash held up a weight and tossed it to Charizard, who staggered in response, struggling to get a grip on the metal plate.

"' _You'll have no problem,' he said,"_ the Flame Pokemon muttered to himself. "' _You'll have no problem.'"_

* * *

Gallade Teleported behind Greninja, attempting to stab him in the back with Leaf Blade, but the Water and Dark-Type stepped aside at the last second. The Psychic and Fighting-Type's momentum carried him forward into a large rock.

"Try a Swords Dance while you're doing that," Ash suggested. "Let's see if it'll protect you from incoming moves. Plus, you'll be able to dodge the rock next time."

Greninja's Night Slash suddenly smashed into said rock, sending broken pieces into the air. Gallade Teleported away immediately.

"Gallade, try Teleporting and blocking at the same time. Then, your opponent will associate your blocking with Teleporting. Oh, and remember not to make it a habit. That'd be hard to break."

" _Yessir."_

Greninja flipped backward as the Blade Pokemon's Brick Break jutted toward him. Ash nodded in approval, taking notes and drawing crude diagrams.

" _Ya know,"_ the Psychic and Fighting-type spoke up, " _Greninja has been spewing this 'edgy' word around. I doth not believeth yond is Kalosian slang."_

The Water and Dark-Type shrugged, although it was a little difficult to tell because he had jumped into a tree to avoid contact with a Slash.

"'Edgy?'" Ash asked. "I've heard Gary use it."

The Blade Pokemon laughed, spinning to the left and bowing his head down low to dodge two Water Shurikens. " _Maybe it's a teenage thing. Greninja is pretty young, and—"_

" _I'm older than Vivi."_

" _She's a child, and you're not much older,"_ Gallade argued. " _In fact, I'll start using it myself."_ He turned into a Gardevoir, aiming a Moonblast at his opponent's feet. " _Here's my first sentence: 'Ash wants to be an edgy.'"_

"' _Ash is a wannabe edgelord,' you mean,"_ Greninja corrected his teammate as he shakily used Hydro Pump to push himself into the air.

"Careful," the Trainer called out, "when you're in the air, it's easy to predict your trajectory. Try a Double Team to distract him."

" _And Ash isn't an edgelord,"_ the Water and Dark-Type remarked. " _He's too…enthusiastic."_

Said teen kicked at a tuft of grass as he drew a parabolic diagram in his notebook. "But you're the same way. I know you're trying to keep up the 'cool' facade just to impress Sce—"

" _That's beside the point. Plus, we're getting off topic!"_

"' _Cool' facade?"_ Gallade asked.

"Nothing."

" _Nothing."_

The Blade Pokemon jumped, letting his momentum propel himself towards the other Pokemon. " _C'mon, but doesn't he seem so—"_

" _Nope."_

"Huh?"

" _Alain_ _was an edgelord,"_ Greninja remarked casually, using Cut to block another Moonblast.

" _Who's Alai—"_

* * *

"Are you going to the Elite Four Challenge?" Misty asked, leaning over the counter of the Pewter Gym's new lobby. Brock, who was proud of being a Pokemon Doctor-in-training and Former Pewter Gym Leader, was mopping the floor while his brother was fighting a challenger in the other room.

"Of course. It's the first challenge in five years, and the last person failed miserably. Why wouldn't I?"

The Water-Type Trainer tried not to laugh aloud. "You sound like you're looking forward to it," she remarked.

"Heh. I know you Gym Leaders are forced to attend, but good-ol' Brocko is done with that life." He pointed one end of the mop at his friend. "In other words, I bet you're annoyed. The Pokemon Association likes to keep their appearance, don't they?"

"What do you mean?"

Brock shrugged. "I heard there was a year where nine Trainers took on the Elite Four, and the Gym Leaders were forced to watch all the matches: one challenge after another. After the ninth day, none of them even made it to Agatha."

"Wow," was all Misty could say.

"I hope this guy's good," Brock voiced his thoughts.

"Same," Misty agreed, smiling. "But honestly, I'll enjoy myself either way."

* * *

"Okay," Ash nodded to the team. "Go ahead and practice in whatever way you like. The fliers can go ahead and practice your loops, and the swimmers can practice speed. Basically, do whatever you need to, and don't forget to stretch and rest. We have a big day tomorrow, and I need to find new presentable clothes."

" _I hast an idea,"_ Gallade spoke up, smirking. " _Weareth thy coxcomb not."_

" _He means, 'Don't wear the hat',"_ Vivi translated.

Ash took off his cap, making his hair stick out on all sides.

" _I don't think that is a good idea,"_ Greninja stated.

" _Wear a cape!"_ Vivi suggested excitedly. " _It gives...pizazz."_ A slight pause. " _Is that the right word? I've only seen that word in books about music."_

" _It is,"_ the Ninja Pokemon assured her.

" _Wear a color that you don't normally wear,"_ Garchomp suggested. " _Like red, or green."_

" _Red looks good on you,"_ Vivi decided, turning into a Flareon. " _And black, too,"_ she circled around her Trainer, turning into Umbreon.

" _You should wear an Aura Guardian costume,"_ Pikachu added on, tilting his head in a pondering state at the teen. " _Remember that tournament we won back in Hoenn? It looked pretty good on you. And that's a rarity."_

"Why don't you guys follow Charizard and Sceptile's example, and go train?" Ash sheepishly asked. His team followed their Trainer's gaze and ran off, leaving the Trainer to gather his thoughts.

* * *

"You should take a break," Iris suggested to Serena over videophone. "You know what? Go to the Elite Four Challenge tomorrow. It'll be like watching Ash battle, but ten times cooler, because the Trainers will be ten times…you know, better."

"The Elite Four Challenge?"

The Dragon-Type Trainer shook her head as if chastising her friend. "As everyone knows, the Kanto-Johto regions have some of the greatest—if not the strongest—Trainers in the world. Tomorrow, someone who got recommendation letters from two Champions and Kanto's Pyramid King is challenging the Elite Four. If he or she beats all four teams of six using only seven Pokemon, the region gets a new Champion. So, what do you say?"

"Well, I _am_ free tomorrow. I'll see about it," Serena decided.

"I'm inviting Dawn and May as well, so you'll get to meet them...if they come. Coordinators are so busy sometimes. Even Gym Leaders from other regions don't want to miss out on an Elite Four Challenge in Kanto, especially right before their own regional Trainer Conferences. It's a great excuse for shutting down their Gyms early so they don't have to battle more desperate Trainers with seven badges."

The Pokemon Performer's eyes widened. "Wow. You know a lot."

"Thanks. You know, the reason why we don't know the identity of the challenger is because, unlike many the other regions, you don't need to win the Indigo Plateau Conference to enter. You just need eight Kanto badges, three recommendation letters, an application, and a team of seven."

"Oh, really?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. They're just weird like that. But everyone acknowledges the strength of the Elite Four, so rookies wouldn't dare to challenge them in the first place, unlike people in Unova, for example."

"That's pretty cool. In Kalos, you can challenge the Champion whenever you'd like for a casual battle," Serena explained, thinking back to her travels. "I think it's because the people in Kalos aren't as interested in Pokemon training as those in Kanto. Someone told me that one year, the Johto League had around two hundred fifty-six people competing!"

"That's a lot!" Iris exclaimed, before remembering something important. "Oh! By the way, I'll pick you up on Dragonite at seven tomorrow. You're in the Fuschia Pokemon Center, right?"

"Yep. Thanks, by the way."

"No problem. We just have to get there early for good seats."

* * *

Charizard used Flamethrower while flipping backward in the air, unaware of his surroundings.

" _ACK!"_ a shrill voice screeched, and a powerful Hurricane suddenly slammed into the Flame Pokemon.

The debris cleared, and Charizard saw a flock of Flying-Types. Spearow and Pidgey had moved out of the way of the Fire and Flying-Type's flame, and thankfully, no one was hurt.

" _Uh,"_ Charizard blinked twice at the birds, " _are you guys okay?"_

" _SEXIST! You SEXIST MONSTROSITY!"_

One Steel Wing later, Charizard found himself confused and disoriented in the air. He was about to fall but managed to gain a little control over himself.

Then Pidgeot got a good look at the dragon-like lizard.

" _Whoops."_

"Charizard, what's going on?" Ash called from the ground. "Do I have to go up there?"

" _Urgh…"_

The Aura Adept wasted no time in throwing off his jacket and taking flight into the air.

" _And look what happens when I leave,"_ Pidgeot marveled. " _I feel like a proud mother!"_

"Hey," Ash greeted his Flying-Type. "How's it going?"

" _The flocks were fighting again, and it was escalating quickly. Luckily, Rowie and I were able to make peace. Great, huh?"_

Ash followed her gaze to a Fearow near the back of the flock. "Isn't that Gary's Fearow?"

" _Yup. He's such a gentleman."_

" _Margaret, we have to go!"_ Rowie the Fearow called.

" _Coming, honey!"_ Pidgeot yelled back, and turned around, seeing the bandages on Ash's palms. " _What happened there?"_ she questioned suspiciously.

" _Pokemon attack,"_ Charizard responded as soon as his world stopped spinning. " _It's just not healing very well. You know, caused Aura to leak, still an open wound, kinda caused some emergency improvisation…and the wings…"_

" _Oh. So what are you all doing here for?"_

" _Elite Four Challenge. Ash needs an outfit."_

"I—"

" _Rowie, please tell the flock that we're staying here for the night!"_ Pidgeot yelled off into the distance, cutting her Trainer off.

" _On it, sweetie!"_

* * *

"Hmmm…" Pidgeot looked Ash up and down.

"Greninja, this is Pidgeot," the Trainer introduced the Bird Pokemon. "Pidgeot, this is Greninja." He pointed to the Ninja Pokemon, who tried not to look uncomfortable at the other Pokemon's stare.

" _Hello,"_ Greninja greeted, flicking his eyes nervously in the direction of his Trainer.

" _How do Trainers usually dress when competing against the Elite Four?"_ Pidgeot asked.

"Well, Lance wore a cape, and Cynthia was in a black dress. Steven wears a suit everywhere he goes. Others dress a little less nicely, but of course, it always has to be comfortable," Ash tried to explain.

" _You should wear a red, white and black outfit,"_ Pidgeot suggested. " _Make your eyes red, and wear a low cape. And let out those wings: no one can tell the difference."_

"And how am I supposed to—"

" _Shopping time! I'll ask Leavanny to help make the costume. Bye!"_

With a powerful flap of wings, Pidgeot was gone, and Ash couldn't help but wonder how his Flying-Type was going to be able to pay for his clothes.

* * *

Pidgeot had always been proud of her ability to read the body language of others. It was a trait she'd used since she was just a hatchling.

Sometimes, she could predict an opponent's move just by watching their eyes.

So when she first saw Greninja, she'd been a bit surprised. His movements matched Ash's…completely. Even their posture emulated each other (Ash had lost his habit of slouching over the years, which had surprised her).

The Water-Type (at least, she assumed he was a one from his coloring) had let himself out of his Pokeball as soon as Pidgeot landed on the ground. Every thirty seconds or so, he'd cast a look at his Trainer, then face forward again, narrowing his eyes as if he was genuinely worried about something.

And the strangest thing was, Ash knew it too. As soon as Greninja tried to act casual, the Trainer would glance at his Pokemon, questioning the Water-Type silently.

It got annoying pretty quickly, but at the same time, it was…oddly reassuring that someone cared that much for her Trainer.

Pikachu once told her _that_ story: where Ash had lost all his confidence after a Gym Battle and didn't get better until the next afternoon. He'd left his team behind—even Pikachu—to mope in the woods until Greninja found him. By then, he hadn't eaten in over ten hours.

No, it wasn't the Trainer's confidence. There was something else that was bothering Ash, but she couldn't tell what it was.

* * *

Pikachu turned to his Trainer. " _You know, they're going to ask for your age if you become Champion."_

Ash said nothing, and refused to talk to his Starter for the next thirty minutes.

* * *

" _Here, try this on,"_ Pidgeot insisted. In one claw, she held a black, lightweight-looking windbreaker with red lines across the sleeves and through the center of the jacket. The hat on her head had similar colors but bore the design and structure like those of Sir Aaron's. In her other claw, a large cape dangled, along with a pair of pants and a short-sleeved shirt. A Pidgey flew down to the Trainer, handing him a pair of fingerless gloves. Greninja narrowed his eyes at them as the teen nodded in approval.

"How did you get this fabric?" Ash asked, impressed. "It's really lightweight, and honestly, should be pretty expensi—"

" _Oh,"_ the Bird Pokemon replied, shrugging. " _Leavanny did most of it. We asked a store for some material, and the Beautifly running the shop gave us some."_

"That's practically stealing."

" _No, it isn't! Now try it on already!"_

* * *

"Should we close early tomorrow?" Cilan asked his brothers. The Gym wasn't getting as many visitors as it had at the beginning of the year, and since Striaton City was considered the 'rookie Gym,' most of the seven-badge Trainers were off looking for Roxie and the Toxic Badge.

Cress, the Water-Type specialist, nodded. "We could go to Kanto and watch the battle that everyone has been talking about."

"And watch a five-minute match between Lorelei and the challenger?!" Chili shouted from the kitchen. "Why not?!"

"You're implying that this Trainer will lose badly," Cress remarked calmly. A tiny smile became visible on his face, and Cilan immediately knew that his brothers were joking. Anyone who could get recommendation letters from Cynthia and Diantha must be decently strong.

"I'll ask Alder if we can take the day off," the Grass-Type Gym Leader volunteered. "Chances are, he'll force all the Unova Gym Leaders to go anyway."

"Don't we need a plane ticket?" Cress asked.

"Eh," Chili replied, shrugging. "Alder's probably going to let us in his jet, anyway."

* * *

"Hello, Nurse Joy?" Ash called out as he opened the door to the Pokemon Center in front of Kanto's infamous Rock Tunnel. Since most of the other Trainers were either in the Sevii Islands, Cinnabar Island or Viridian City (where the harder Gyms were—no offense to Forrest, of course), he was sure that there weren't many other Trainers around. In addition, he was wearing a green and brown-themed outfit that day. No one would recognize him to be Ash Ketchum, winner of the Indigo Conference a few years ago.

But as he walked into the Center, he was met with around thirty people and Pokemon crowding around the entrance, staring at the newcomer. A boy walked up to him—with innocent eyes and all the cuteness tricks in his pocket—asking, "Are you the one challenging the Elite Four?"

"Uh, sorry. I'm just here to heal my Pokemon," Ash lied, scratching the nape of his neck sheepishly.

"Oh. Are you sure, though? Can I see your Pokemon? What's your name?!" the kid practically shouted, and the Indigo Plateau Conference Champion tried not to look uncomfortable or suspicious.

"I'm so sorry!" Nurse Joy suddenly exclaimed, running into the lobby with a devastated look on her face. "Do you need your Pokemon to be healed?"

"Yes please," Ash replied, taking out three Pokeballs from his messenger bag—careful not to disturb a resting Pikachu—and handing them to the Pokemon Nurse.

"Aw, you only have three Pokemon," the kid muttered with a disappointed sigh, "so you can't be the challenger. They have seven."

Ash put a glove (hiding his bandages) on the kid's shoulder. "Maybe the next Trainer to walk in will be him," he surmised. "I'm not good enough to challenge the Elite Four yet, but I want to keep training so I can be stronger! Who knows? Maybe _you'll_ be the next Champion."

"Of course," the boy replied, nodding enthusiastically, reminding Ash of his Eevee. "I'll be getting my first Pokemon in two weeks, right after the Conference ends. Do you think I'll be a good Trainer?"

Ash laughed. "I know so."

The Nurse Joy came back with a smile on her face, carrying a tray with Ash's three Pokeballs. "Your Pokemon have been healed," she said, winking ever so slightly. "Good luck, and we hope to see you again!"

"Thanks," the Trainer replied and tried not to look too suspicious as he walked out of the Pokemon Center gingerly.

" _That was funny,"_ Pikachu remarked as Ash was finally out of sight from the other Trainers.

"We're going to Johto to heal the rest of you," the teen promised. "Actually, you know what? We're going to Hoenn. I'm staying away from all paparazzi until tomorrow."

" _You'll also have to ask Gary about the schedule,"_ the Electric-Type reminded his Trainer. " _He probably has both the instructions and the formal letter."_

"Okay. But first, let's find a Pokemon Center in Hoenn."

* * *

Serena sat in the hotel room, gingerly brushing Sylveon's fur with gentle strokes.

Her reason for finding Ash—it may have been a little childish—but she desperately needed to.

A week ago, she'd been crushed at a Pokemon Contest. Her opponent had been pretty rude to the other contestants, so Serena had made it her personal goal to win. Even though Pancham had tried his hardest, the girl had to remind herself that she didn't have much experience in battling, and shouldn't have been so discouraged on her second try.

Afterward, she met a green-haired, male Coordinator who had been watching the performance.

"Your appeal was gorgeous," he complimented her. "It's as if you've been doing this for years."

"Not really. I'm from Kalos, so I've only done Showcases."

"Wow!" the other teen exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "I've only seen those on TV! They're pretty prestigious—or so I've heard. And I should've guessed that you were from another region. Your Pokemon aren't found here."

"I guess."

"Well, I'm Drew," the Coordinator introduced himself. "Right now, I'm competing in Johto, but I've won a Grand Festival here before."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Right after the year my rival won, too. It was pretty embarrassing."

Serena laughed. "For you or her?"

"Both, I guess. Anyway, you seem a bit under-the-weather, today."

"Oh," the Pokemon Performer replied, "I guess. Maybe it's just 'cause I'm not used to the battle round."

"Haha. It seemed a bit more serious than that. Would you like some advice?" the other teen asked. When Serena nodded, he continued. "Every Coordinator has a motivation to win. Maybe for Sterila—that was the winner's name, no?—it was to prove that she could do something that others cannot. Do you have something that motivates you?" Drew asked. "A reason to be trying so hard? A drive to never give up?"

The girl nodded eagerly, thinking of a friend.

"Good. But sometimes, we lose our motivation. And when we lose that motivation—and you seemed to lose yours, a few minutes ago, with that discouraged look—we need to find it again, and remember why we try so hard."

* * *

"Oak! Don't tell me you know who the challenger is!" Agatha scolded across the line.

The Professor sat in his chair with a confused expression plastered on his face. "No, I don't think so, but we'll just have to see tomorrow, right?" he teased, knowing that his former rival was searching for ways to gain an unfair advantage over her opponent.

"You're a naive Magikarp," Agatha sighed loudly. "Afraid to evolve, hiding yourself in your weakness."

"And you're a timid Gyarados: a contradiction. See you at the match, Agatha. Just remember that I won't be cheering for you."

The Pokemon Professor smiled, flashing a peace sign, and promptly hung up.

* * *

 **AN: You guys better be happy. This was a long chapter to write.**

 **Ash's match is in two chapters. I can't wait. Yay. (Time to edit a bunch of kicking, yelling, and slapping!)**

 **Haha, sorry for the late update, though. I've been trying to get over my terrible grades.**

 **Alright. I have a poll on my profile page in which I'm asking for your favorite characters! Tell me so that I can provide adequate fanservice!**

 **Did you guys see the latest episode? It was hilarious, like always. Rotom is funny, and Pikachu actually has a personality in this series. It's enjoyable, in my opinion. (And Rockruff is so cute! I didn't add one in this fanfic because I trusted that the anime would give him one.)**

 **See you next time,**

 **~Crestilia**

 **Well, see you next week.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey, guys.**

 **So I just got a cool idea: I'm going to update an extra time this week so that Ash's challenge can start on the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon anime. Great, huh?**

 **I'm sure you're just glad I updated.**

 **Alright. I got an overwhelming (thank you so much) number of reviews for the last chapter, so let's get started.**

 **-Noxlux013: Thanks for the compliment!**

 **-multyfangirl18: Haha, I've finished editing Lorelei's battle (no I haven't, it's still pretty bad); it was so tedious. And why did Ash send a team to Mt. Silver...hm...you'll see...**

 **-bladetri: xD like**

 **-Guest: Don't worry, it's a school break for me right now. Plus, if there's a test or five, you can expect me to skip that week and focus on my studies. Thanks for the concern, though. Sometimes, I place my priorities in the wrong place.**

 **-AgitatedDog9288: More like, one chapter, now...**

 **-ultimateCCC: Sorry, I decided to go generic Aura Guardian for him...ish.**

 **-Johnny Spectre: Samuel and Agatha have quite a history, huh.**

 **-YohanKC: Getting good? Thanks. (Getting harder to stay awake while writing every dodge and attack, you mean.)**

 **-Lianne: Rotom is so funny! You know, at first, I didn't really like Kiawe much. But he's grown on me over these few months. So has the art style and everything about Sun and Moon. Those facial expressions, though... And don't worry, Ash's battle starts next chapter!**

 **-narutoDkurosaki: First of all, you're awesome for liking Naruto. I've never heard of "Symbiosis," but I'm really glad it reminded you of "Ashes of the Past," especially since I tried to draw inspiration from Saphroneth at first. I guess my ideas just stemmed away and ended up becoming their own little thing. And thank you for noticing those serious undertones, ('cause I had to do my research for some of those), as well as the game-and-manga tie-ins (like, how Vivi came from Vee, who had the same Team Rocket origins, and how Gary/Blue took over the Viridian Gym). And is my fanfic really that unpredictable? I didn't notice that. And as for Ash's age...you'll see. (I've read that fanfic about Ash's family's curse too; it was interesting.)**

* * *

 _"You're being an insensitive Type-ist,"_ Zubat huffed. _"I'm not going to let you walk around in my territory if you don't learn some respect!"_

Infernape groaned. This was going to take awhile.

* * *

Pikachu snickered slightly as he watched the news from the Petalburg Pokemon Center with his Trainer and an interested Sceptile.

" _Hm. I didn't know Kanto was so famous for battling,"_ Sceptile remarked. " _It seems like even people from Unova are coming to watch."_

"That's cool."

" _Apparently they're afraid that you're not from Kanto,"_ the Electric-Type spoke up. " _They think you're going to ruin patriotism if you win."_

"You're hilarious."

" _Actually, the Kantonian people were pretty mad when they found out that Lance was from Johto,"_ the Grass-Type explained. " _There are some that are cheering for you 'cause they're willing to take the gamble that you're from Kanto, and would rather have you than Lance."_

Ash shrugged. "I mean, he already has two regions to himself."

" _These challenges are all about politics, you know. Imagine if you were from Hoenn! That'd cause a revolt!"_

Pikachu nodded, agreeing silently. " _I think he'll get some protesting, regardless."_

" _And we'll have to teach Ash how to 'read before you sign,'"_ Sceptile joked.

"Darn, that'll be—"

" _Just imagine,"_ the Electric-Type interrupted, " _the economy of Kanto depending on the decisions of our Trainer!"_

Pikachu and Sceptile burst into fits of laughter. Ash hid his face in embarrassment.

* * *

Lance frowned.

The challenger's recommendation letters were really strange. Normally, Gym Leaders or Pokemon Researchers wrote them. He was surprised that the guy was able to get Cynthia (who was probably better than him, to be honest), Diantha (he'd heard stories about her Mega Gardevoir), and Brandon (the only reason people thought his opponent was from Kanto).

" _Your challenger is definitely qualified. He was pretty famous for a while after defeating two Legendary Pokemon…"_

" _He's adaptive, and his strategies are definitely worth taking notes on. I've been following his travels for a while now…"_

" _If he hadn't traveled to my region, the world would've ended."_

From the edge of the room, Bruno laughed heartily. "Why are you still stressing about the Trainer, Lance?"

"Just take a look at these letters. They're not normal."

The Fighting-Type Elite Four Member shook his head, declining the offer. "I've already seen them. Had to translate some of them, too, 'cause they were in that Latin alphabet and the Unown script, ya know?"

"I thought you learned those a while ago."

"Forgetfulness comes with old age," Bruno replied. "Plus, how was I supposed to translate words like 'Lumiose' and 'anonymous?'"

"You have a point."

The Kanto-Johto Champion (and Elite Four Member) turned back to the letters.

" _He's really passionate about what he does, and believes in never giving up…"_

" _I remember watching my Regice fall…"_

" _I wouldn't be surprised if he actually beat you, Lance…"_

Bruno's laugh shook the Kanto Champion out of his pondering state. "You should get some rest tomorrow. Maybe you'll actually have to go against him." He shrugged. "But that's very unlikely. I'm pretty strong too, you know."

Lance smiled. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

Gary knew it was Ash before his childhood friend entered the Gym that morning.

(Which totally had nothing to do with his recently-acquired psychic affinity, by the way.)

"Use the back door!" he shouted across the building, turning off his desktop monitor and rubbing his eyes.

The other Trainer opened the door to his study. "I'm back," he announced, then looked into the Gym Leader's weary eyes. "You don't seem to be quite awake," he noticed.

Pikachu poked his head out of his Trainer's messenger bag. " _Gary's always working. You should try that too, sometime."_

"I'm writing a dissertation, and I can't make it too radical or people will start hating me for it," the Pokemon Researcher explained, yawning, before turning to his friend's Starter. "And Pikachu, Ash has his own share of hard work. He has to take care of you guys."

The other Trainer laughed. "That's true." He paused, picking up some papers from the wooden floor. "I actually wanted to ask if you knew the formula to predict a Pokemon's jump path. My Sceptile wanted to know."

"Is that all you need me for?" Gary asked.

"Of course not," the other Pallet Town Trainer denied. "I wanted to ask you about my schedule tomorrow, too."

"Oh."

"And Charizard wanted to know the probability that a Fighting-Type would know Thunderbolt."

Pikachu joined the conversation. " _I want to know the probability of someone knowing Earthquake in the Elite Four,"_ he spoke up.

"A hundred percent," Ash replied. "You don't need Gary for that."

" _Oh. Well then, what's the formula for the trajectory of Draco Meteor?"_

The Gym Leader turned to his friend. "Your team is dedicated," he remarked, impressed.

* * *

"Hmmm," Gary took a long gaze at the letter and began to read.

"You'll come in with a flashy entrance after the Elite Four do at nine-fifty, and this gives you a minute or two to show off, kind of like a Pokemon Coordinator. At precisely ten, your battle with Lorelei will start."

At Ash's nod, the Researcher continued. "After the first and third match, you will have ten minutes for a break. After the second match, there will be thirty minutes as an intermission between battles. During that time, you're going to answer questions for the news stations for ten minutes, and then you can do whatever you want for the other twenty minutes, but honestly, you won't have time for much, because you're not allowed to leave the stadium."

"I see."

"And if you manage to beat Lance, you'll need to stay behind for another round of interviews. And that's about it, except that you are to show that ticket you're holding, as well as this letter at the reception area, and they'll tell you more."

"Cool," was Ash's only response.

"Oh. Remember the four-move limit—and that only applies during each battle, so Charizard can use Thunder Punch, Flamethrower, Blast Burn and Steel Wing against Agatha and use Seismic Toss against Bruno—and don't forget to be showy. Us Kantonians hate boring battles."

"Okay."

Gary started to smirk. "Do you have any fancy wear?" he asked.

"Of course, I do. And no, I'm not showing it to you, no matter how much you beg."

"Heh." The other teen put his hands in his pockets, smirking. "You really have all of Kanto running around in chaos. I had nineteen challenges so far today, just because my Gym will be closed tomorrow."

"You're coming?" Ash asked, surprised.

"The Gym Leaders are forced to come," his friend replied. "Plus, half the region is coming anyway. If they can't watch the battle in the stadium, they'll watch it outside the battlefield on the screens, and hope that an aerial battle will happen. Hot-air balloons will be flying around the area too, and people will actually pay money to watch in those if they can't find seats."

"Well then." Ash tried not to let his nervousness creep up on him. "So…any advice?"

"Stay calm. You're a great Trainer, and the strength of your Pokemon must have at least doubled by now through all that training. Just relax, and you'll beat those four with no problem."

* * *

At first, Brandon found it hard to believe that Ash was going up against the Elite Four, but after a while, he came to realize that it wasn't such a farfetched idea. It had been years since they've first met, and the Pyramid King could tell that he'd grown since his journey in Hoenn. If anything, Pikachu had gotten slimmer (and more muscular), and the boy had acquired a pretty powerful-looking Garchomp during his journeys around the world.

As the Frontier Brain stood up from his desk chair, the videophone started to ring. It was probably Scott again, to ask him about the identity of the challenger.

Brandon stood with his promise. He'd never give away such a dedicated Trainer. Plus, the kid was probably really strong by now.

Once Scott realized that the challenger had taken on the Kanto Battle Frontier before, he had gotten excited, forcing all seven Brains to watch the challenge.

Honestly, Brandon didn't know how Scott hadn't figured it out yet.

Besides, Ash was one of the only people to ever complete the Battle Frontier in the first place.

* * *

It was strange.

Ash could get lost in a paper bag but had a sense for finding good clearings to train in.

He turned to the sky. Only two hours until performance time.

The Trainer had stuffed his outfit in his messenger bag (how it was able to fit alongside a table and a tent, no one knew), which he had placed on the grass. In the distance, the stadium could be seen, towering over its surroundings. Ash figured that it would be packed.

" _Aren't you going to give us a pep talk?"_ Pikachu asked, lounging on a tree branch. " _Or do you prefer standing there?"_

The teen didn't respond. He sat down, sighing, and shifted his gaze pensively to the rising sun.

" _You're nervous, aren't you? When was the last time_ _that_ _happened?"_

"Shut up, Pikachu."

" _I'm just saying."_

Ash shook his head, clearing the negative thoughts from his mind. There was no turning back at this stage. His goal was to change Kanto, and he couldn't give up now.

The teen moved his hands to his belt, lightly tapping the button of each pokeball with his bandaged hands in order to release the team.

" _Game time!"_ Charizard cheered. " _I hope Charla's watching!"_

Sceptile jabbed the Fire and Flying-Type in arm with his elbow, snickering loudly.

" _Oh, don't tell me you aren't hopeful that Megani—"_

"Alright, guys!" Ash interrupted his bickering Pokemon, "Before we start, is anyone sore or hurt in some way or another? Please speak up now."

" _Sceptile—"_

"Besides that."

Silence filled the room.

The Trainer nodded before bringing up and arm to gesture in the direction of the stadium.

"That is where we'll be battling today."

Vivi raised a paw. " _Is it big?"_ she asked.

Garchomp raised a claw. " _I can go check."_

Ash held up a hand. "Wait, guys."

" _Yeah?"_ Greninja asked, which made the teen sigh internally. The Water and Dark-Type probably already knew what his Trainer was about to say.

"Well," he spoke up, "thank you for all your hard work during these few weeks. I know we had to crunch a few years' worth of training into such a little time, but I'm glad that you guys helped me through it. Thank you for waking up at four in the morning just to work out and practice, and thank you for supporting each other and pushing each other as hard as they can go. I know we all have different strengths and weaknesses, but together, we overcame both our physical and mental obstacles."

Ash took a deep breath. "Even if we don't beat Lance, we can still make our mark on the world, right?"

He was met with several nods.

"But today, let's try our hardest. Don't give up until the very end! And together," he met the eyes of each of his teammates, "we can win."

* * *

Pikachu found Greninja in a tree (it seemed as if _everyone_ was found in trees these days), staring at the horizon.

" _Hey,"_ the Electric-Type greeted, balancing himself on a branch.

" _Hey."_

" _You don't seem to be in the right mind,"_ the Mouse Pokemon remarked. " _What's up?"_

" _Nothing."_

" _Is this about the Kalos League? Because that wasn't completely your faul—"_

" _It's not about the Lumiose Conference. I've gotten over that."_

Pikachu narrowed his eyes. He knew that most of the blame from that tournament rested on the Ninja Pokemon; there was no way they could've lost that battle. And afterward, the Water and Dark-Type sulked for days. Either way, the Mouse Pokemon didn't blame him…too much.

If it wasn't that, then…

" _Ash,"_ the Electric-Type spoke up. " _You're worried about him."_

" _N-not rea—"_

" _Oh c'mon!"_ the Mouse Pokemon exclaimed. " _You really think that I haven't seen it all? I've experienced him suffocating, drowning, freezing to death, crying, being possessed, and jumping off of cliffs to save people!"_

" _But he's not feeling well."_

" _I've seen him die, then come back to life. Don't you think I would notice, too? Yes, Ash is hiding something, but he's_ _always_ _hiding something. It's something you have to get used to."_

Greninja shook his head. " _So we wait until after the challenge to ask him about it?"_ he asked.

Pikachu laughed. " _No. He'll come to us. Just be a little patient."_ He paused, making sure his teammate understood. " _It's the way he works."_

* * *

Max found himself sitting next to a young girl with bright, blue eyes and light, blonde hair pinned back, almost resembling Misty's preferred hairstyle. His sister was sitting a few rows below him with her coordinator friends, so the young boy didn't want to disturb them.

"Hey, I'm Bonnie!" A hand reached out.

Max held out his own hand, and they shook. "I'm Max," the Hoenn native introduced himself. "My sister and her friends are down there, but I think I would just bother them, so I'm sitting here."

The boy paused gingerly, looking into the eyes of the girl, who was waiting for him to continue. He couldn't help but chastise himself for ruining a potential friendly conversation. _Why_ did he have to bring up his sister?

"Maybe you've heard of her?" he asked. "May of Petalburg City?"

"Nope. But I came from Kalos, so maybe she's only famous in this area."

"Yeah, you guys don't even _have_ Pokemon Contests," Max replied, secretly thankful that he could talk to _someone_ without a long conversation about his sister's achievements.

"But I can relate," Bonnie spoke up. "My brother is really smart but stupid at the same time. I've been trying to get a wife for him before I turn ten, but he's been rejecting everyone. Maybe he'll marry his own robot when he grows up. Who knows?" she ranted. "He's the Gym Leader of Lumiose City, and is supposed to be one of Kalos' strongest, but when I turn ten, Dedenne and I are going to take over the Gym. Isn't that right?" the girl looked at her yellow purse, which was on her lap.

A brown, mouse-like Pokemon peaked out. "Dede-nne," it agreed.

"Wow, a Dedenne!" Max marveled.

"It's actually my brother's, but he's saving it for me."

The young boy kept staring; he'd never seen a Dedenne before. "Speaking of Gym Leaders, my dad's somewhere in that direction," he pointed to the area where Gym Leaders were sitting as soon as his little trance was broken. "Everyone expects me to become a great Trainer like him."

"Tell me about it," Bonnie rolled her eyes. "My brother and I get into so many fights too, it's annoying."

"Same. But overall," Max smiled, "older siblings are really caring and fun."

* * *

"I'm here to register my Pokemon for the challenge," Ash spoke up, leaning on the counter of the ticket booth as his Pikachu jumped on the table.

"Do you have the code word?" the man asked from the other side of the glass.

"Uh…"

" _Sprinklenoodle,"_ Pikachu reminded his Trainer.

"Sprinklenoodle," Ash repeated.

"Oh." The man's eyes widened in surprised. "I didn't think—uh, I mean—you're a bit young to be a challenger, aren't you?"

The teen shrugged, grinning. "I guess I've been lucky."

"Name's Karlvane," the man introduced himself before turning to a monitor. "So what Pokemon do you have with you today?"

"Can I come inside and show you, instead?" Ash asked. "Two of mine are just a little harder to classify, but I really want to use them as a surprise."

* * *

It didn't take long for Serena to recognize the famous Princess of Hoenn sitting comfortably in the stands next to another girl that she vaguely recognized from Coordinator magazines. Traveling through Hoenn had given her a taste of performance styles that people used, and it was said that May herself invented a new blend of speed, power, and beauty that made her team—which seemed to be more like a Trainer's than a Coordinator's—shine in a strange but surprisingly natural light.

"Hey," May greeted the Pokemon Performer. "You're Serena, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. A-and you're May."

The Princess of Hoenn blushed. "So you've heard of me, then."

Next to her, the Coordinator with blue hair smiled. "Don't sound so surprised. Plus, you've heard of Serena, too." She turned to the Kalosian. "I'm Dawn, and this is Piplup." A small, blue Pokemon in her lap waved.

"Nice to meet you," Serena replied. "So, are you—"

"You're the one with a crush on Ash, aren't you?" Dawn asked.

"Dawn!" May chastised her friend.

Serena could feel her cheeks heating up. _Stay calm,_ she told herself.

IRIS! Why?!

* * *

Little Kaitie was walking around the front of the Indigo Plateau stadium, holding up a spiffy piece of technology to her eyes and scanning the area curiously.

As she backed up, looking around, she bumped into a tall teen with a funny-shaped hat and stumbled back a little. Kaitie began to apologize profusely, but an amicable smile made her relax. She returned the look and lowered her scanner.

"Hey," the teen greeted, to crouching down to make eye contact. "What are you doing?"

Kaitie giggled. "I'm checking Pokeballs," she explained. "This machine tells me if the Pokeballs people have are full or not. See?" She scanned the Trainer's belt. "You have six full Pokeballs, so you're not the challenger. My brother said so."

"Oh, that's nice," Ash complimented, inwardly celebrating the fact that Pikachu hated his Pokeball. "Good luck on your search!"

"Thank you, sir!"

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Pokemon of all Types! Welcome to the Indigo Plateau!"

Max almost started laughing from excitement. To his left, Bonnie clapped furiously with a large grin.

"Today's event is the Kanto Elite Four Challenge: the first in five years! It has been twenty years since the last Champion was defeated, falling to our own Dragon Master!"

Some members of the crowd gasped at this, and Max found it silly that most of the people near him didn't bother to read the signs in the hallway advocating the challenge. (Either that or they were doing it on purpose.)

"And now, let the flame of Moltres be lit before us as we introduce...Kanto's Elite Four..."

A torch bearer slowly walked to the metal bowl, dipping his the flame in. Multicolored flames danced around, filling the stadium with a suspenseful light.

"Lorelei!"

Lorelei and her Dewgong appeared first—or 'Prima,' according to many of her fans—in a shower of ice and snow, which dissipated into a chilly mist and revealed both the Trainer and Pokemon in all their glory. The Ice-Type Trainer raised her arms to wave, and the moisture around her seemed to condense and surround a rising platform that they appeared on. Lorelei bowed, and freezing-cold water crashed down around them, crystallizing into glittering ice as it touched the floor around them, and making the audience applaud loudly.

"Bruno!"

A powerful Earthquake shook the stadium to the point where even the audience could feel it, creating a fissure in the ground. A stone platform rose up, revealing the Elite Four Member Bruno and his Machamp, who had engaged in a complicated set of punches and blocks against floating pieces of rock that danced around them. As Bruno raised a fist into the air, an unidentifiable Pokemon roared, and Max could hear a faint, hearty laugh, even through the cheering of the crowd.

"Agatha!"

A cloud of toxic mist forewarned the Elite Four Member's appearance as a Ghastly appeared in and out of the shadows, grinning deviously. Two Gengar appeared to walk in midair, circling a shadow of the Ghost-Type Trainer. Almost hauntingly, the next circular platform began to rise, bringing the mist along with it. The shadow of Agatha raised her wooden cane, and the mist faded away, leaving nothing but the Elite Four Member Agatha, who mysteriously flickered out of view before appearing once more.

"And the current Champion of Kanto: Lance!"

Twin Dragonair danced through the crevice between an empty rising platform and the ground. With a roar, a dark shape could be seen zooming back and forth above the stadium. Max's eyes widened at the sheer size and strength of an Aerodactyl that circled around the raised platform. Above, the shadow came to a stop midair, and dropped, freefalling at least six stories before slowing down its own landing with a flap of its wings. Dragonite nodded confidently as his Trainer lept off his back, cape flying in the wind.

"They're going to announce the challenger next," Bonnie exclaimed excitedly to her new friend. "Maybe you'll recognize him. Aren't you from around here?"

The Hoenn-native shook his head. "Doubtful, although I _did_ travel in Kanto for a while with some of my friends."

"And now, we introduce our challenger!"

* * *

Ash took off the bandages from each hand, replacing them with his fingerless gloves from Pidgeot. He had tested his idea a few times earlier and figured that it should work just fine. His palms weren't completely healed yet, but to the Trainer, it was good enough to put on a show.

* * *

Talonflame adjusted the microphone.

* * *

A beam of blue light shot from a cloud in the sky, hitting squarely the middle of the stadium. A birdlike Pokemon's call was heard from the sky, and the beam suddenly turned a dark red before dissipating into a thin mist. The sky itself began to darken as clouds hovered ominously above the stadium. Though it was blocked from view, the sun itself seemed to turn a blood red as the clouds cast a shadow over the entire field.

Then lightning struck the center of the field.

A dark shape could be seen making loops in the air, slowly lowering itself onto the ground and letting the battlefield become engulfed in a shade of red as a Trainer with seemingly holographic wings of a Talonflame touched the ground with his feet. Calm, red eyes surveyed the scene in front of him as the Trainer took out a cape from seemingly nowhere and fastened it securely around his shoulders. His pointed hat had an asymmetrical, mysterious symbol upon it, and was tilted downwards to the point that only his glowing, red eyes and smirk were visible to both the Elite Four and the audience, who were on their feet, cheering.

The Trainer bowed, and Max smiled.

"I've seen that symbol before," he pondered aloud, bringing a hand to his chin, "but the colors weren't black and red. If only I could remember..."

* * *

 **Well, this was a little more serious than I expected it to be. I mean, Ash has to show off and stuff, but some part of me was willing to make him trip or stumble when he landed and stuff like that.**

 **Here. I'll give you a bonus scene:**

* * *

Ash adjusted his palms, squinting to get a better look at the stadium. If he pointed the beam this way, it should hit the center of the field...

"And now, we introduce our challenger!"

He fired, trying to adjust the trajectory of his—

Oh wait, it was supposed to be red.

He changed the intensity of the light, managing to save his performance.

Inside his messenger bag, Pikachu reluctantly used Rain Dance to cover the sky. Because he hadn't been practicing the move, only dark clouds formed above the stadium, which was perfect for Ash's intentions. Behind the covering, he spread out the beam of Aura to cover the vicinity of each cloud. Somewhere by the stadium, Talonflame was screaming bloody murder for all to hear.

"Thunder, Pikachu, at the center of the battlefield," the Trainer instructed.

 _"How am I supposed to know where to hi—"_

"Magnet Rise. Get in a cloud, already."

And with that, Ash took off, leaving the Electric-Type behind.

* * *

 **There we go. Much better.**

 **Anyway, see you guys next time.**

 **~Crestilia**

 **Oh, and don't forget that poll on my profile.**

 **If you want to, that is.**


	28. Chapter 28

**For some reason, you guys seemed really excited for this.**

 **Okay, I admit it. I was pretty 'psyched' (as dubbed Ash would say it) as well. I just suck at writing battles. And back when I played Pokemon FireRed, Lorelei would trash my team really badly. It's a good thing I made her harder! Haha...poor Ash.**

 **As I'm writing this, I literally have Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire battle themes playing...on a ten-hour loop.**

 **Review time! Again, thank you all _so much_ for reviewing; it makes my day every time I see one of them.**

 **-narutoDkurosaki: I tried to combine aspects from basically everything to make the Elite Four Challenge unique. It's pretty hard to write battles from _only_ the anime's or the game's (hah, imagine that!) perspective. And I probably will read Symbiosis. I saw a couple of reviews and thought it was pretty interesting.**

 **-Beautiful-Liar13: You'll just have to wait for those. I like writing reactions. Plus, I learned in Sun and Moon that Ash is a little camera-shy. Pretty strange, huh?**

 **-Lectori Salutem: Again, you'll have to wait for that! It's kind of a coincidence that they're all watching him, huh...or not.**

 **-YohanKC: Thanks. Well, your wait is over! Enjoy!**

 **-S3vEn: If the entrance wasn't epic, I don't think anyone would've taken Ash seriously. I mean, he _is_ dressed pretty expressively. Anyway, I'm glad you liked it.**

 **-multyfangirl18: Please sit back and enjoy! The match is about to begin! :P**

 **-ultimateCCC: Haha. I mean, I tried, and that's all that matters. xD**

 **-bladetri: dx EKIL**

 **-Lianne: Oh, gosh. I hope your resurrection was pleasant. (Haha, I have a weird sense of humor.) Well, the battle's here and I can't tell you how old Ash is because...uh, because... Anyway, we all have stuff going on, especially at this time of year (ugh! I want summer already!), and I can honestly say that your reviews make _my_ day better, too. Thanks!**

 **-Dark flame god: I'm glad you think so. Thank you for reviewing! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the match!**

* * *

"Our challenger first faces Lorelei of Four Island!" a referee announced, swinging up both hands, which held red and green flags corresponding to each side of the field. A tiny microphone had been clipped to the cuff of his orange sweater so that the audience members could clearly hear his jurisdictions during the battle.

"Let the battle... _begin_!"

"Cloyster!" the Elite Four Member cried out, releasing the Water and Ice-Type from the Pokeball. With a flash of light, the Bivalve Pokemon appeared bearing a smirk on his face.

" _Gallade,"_ Ash called out to his teammate using Aura, " _Cloyster's going to be setting up the battlefield, and I need as little ailments as possible."_

" _Gotcha sir,"_ came the reply. " _I'm ready."_

The Blade Pokemon saluted showily as he appeared, making the audience cheer.

Lorelei wasted no time beginning the battle. "Cloyster, Spikes," she commanded. Immediately, the spiky entry hazard was spread out over Ash's side of the field before disappearing.

" _Make this quick, please,"_ the Trainer communicated urgently. " _I'll come up with a way to get rid of them."_

The Psychic and Fighting-Type nodded ever so slightly and sprinted forward to attack.

" _Taketh this, thou ov'rgrown luxurious mountain goat visage!"_ Gallade shouted, and with a cry, engaged with repeated Night Slashes, madly jabbing and swinging even as his opponent closed his shell and blocked most of the damage.

Ash began his damage calculations. If one hit was equivalent to…no, there wasn't enough damage being dealt. A memory resurfaced of Kingler using Crab Hammer on a Cloyster, shaking it up to the point that it fainted even though its shell was shut tight.

"Ice Beam!" Lorelei shouted as soon as she figured out her opponent's strategy, and Cloyster opened up his shells, sending the attack at Gallade. The Blade Pokemon tried to dodge, but his left leg was caught in the attack, freezing it to the ground.

Another quick jab of Night Slash was enough to make the Water and Ice-Type retreat to the other side of the field. Ash realized with a start that his Pokemon was trying to put distance between him and his opponent in order to buy some time.

"Ice Beam, then Spikes," the Elite Four member directed again, and the Bivalve Pokemon proceeded to freeze the entire battlefield, something that Ash had seen too many times with too many Ice-Type Trainers. He recognized the trick to almost be too simple to counter but immediately realized that Lorelei was merely testing him—and was more interested in making a spectacle than actually defeating her opponent. Cloyster was nowhere near as strong as the Pokemon he was to face later, so Ash had to defeat her quickly before his Pokemon took any more damage.

" _Bow,"_ the Trainer insisted urgently, and his Pokemon didn't hesitate in dropping his head in a humble salute as an Ice Beam soared over his head.

" _Gallade,"_ Ash called out, " _don't do anything right now and just trust me."_

The Trainer's brain started to ache from thinking of the possible moves his opponent could have. There was no doubt that Lorelei's Pokemon were stronger than some of his own. In terms of experience, Gallade was at a disadvantage. Charizard could've dealt with at least four of Lorelei's team, but the Fire and Flying-Type would also have to watch out for Surf, and that was something Ash didn't want to do.

" _Ash, Gallade as a species have low HP. If he hits me twice more, I'm gone."_

So what to do? Lorelei was using such a blatantly obvious rookie tactic that it was a little infuriating. Ash would've loved to order Gallade to Brick Break the lights out of his opponent, but it would only tire the Blade Pokemon further. He'd have to conserve energy as if he was running a marathon.

New goal: defeat the opponent with as little energy as possible.

Ash let out a deep breath.

" _Catch your breath for a sec and wait until he fires his Ice Beam at you once more. Then move."_

* * *

"What's he doing?" Misty asked Brock with a confused expression. "Lorelei's crushing him, and it's getting a little boring."

"I think he's trying to come up with a counter," the former Gym Leader replied, pointing at the Psychic and Fighting-Type on the field. "Look," he insisted. "Gallade's eyes are focused on Cloyster although he's clearly exhausted. It's waiting on support from his Trainer."

"Well, it's not going to get any help if his Trainer doesn't command him," the Water-Type Trainer remarked, crossing her arms.

"It could be another strategy, or it could mean that their bond is so great that they don't need words to communicate," Brock tried to reason, although it was very apparent that the Pokemon Doctor-in-training was confused as well.

* * *

Lorelei didn't think it would be _this_ easy. Some part of her chastised herself for _just maybe_ overestimating the opponent. But even so, there was one thing that made her doubtful.

She couldn't read the face of the Trainer on the other side.

There was no way to tell whether she was caught up in a tactic. Her opponent didn't seem to move much, although the Ice-Type Trainer occasionally caught him shifting his weight and moving from side to side. If she could figure out his pattern, victory was certain.

Either way, there was no point in just standing there.

"Spikes, then Ice Beam!"

* * *

" _Your moves are Night Slash, Teleport, Thunderbolt, and Close Combat,"_ Ash decided, scanning the field, before finally bringing up the question on his mind. " _Have you ice-skated before?"_

" _No, sir. I've never been to Snowbelle City."_

Memories of Wulfric's Gym gave the Trainer an idea.

" _That's fine. Can you obscure her view? No…then you'll need to use Extrasensory…"_

The Blade Pokemon barely dodged another beam. " _She knows that Ice is not very effective against Fighting. Why does she still use that move?"_

Ash narrowed his eyes. " _She's underestimating us,"_ he replied. " _And although that's good, we can't keep up appearances for long. Either that, or she wants to see how much damage she can inflict with an Ice Beam."_

Gallade lunged to the side, avoiding another attack by a mere inch. " _How do you want me to finish this?"_ he asked.

" _She doesn't want to make contact with your lower body because it' might just free you from the ice,"_ Ash answered. " _Wait for her to get overconfident. Are you tired?"_

" _Not really,"_ the Blade Pokemon replied truthfully.

" _Good. Conserve your energy."_

* * *

Misty stared intensely as Lorelei directed the Water and Ice-Type to use Surf on the entire battlefield. Water flooded the entire field so that the referee had to raise his platform in order to keep himself from getting wet. The first few rows immediately became a splash zone, and even Ash had to maintain a thin, unnoticeable Aura Barrier in order to keep himself from getting soaked. The Mr. Mimes were—no offense to them—pretty incompetent with barriers. Either that or Lorelei was _that_ strong.

Gallade remained where he was, taking the attack as Cloyster used Ice Beam to freeze up the field again. The Blade Pokemon had been trapped up to his waist.

"Hydro Pump!" the Elite Four Member announced.

Misty turned away as an explosion encompassed the battlefield.

* * *

Lorelei saw the intense gaze of her opponent staring at her, and the Ice-Type Master couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. _Of course_ Gallade knew Teleport. Even with a weak foot, it could move around without putting much weight on it. And the attack it used…

She knew it was ranged but didn't know its name.

"Well played," she complimented her opponent. "I can finally see your strength."

From the field, Gallade saluted. " _Mine Trainer grants thee mercy for thine silver bow joust,"_ he spoke aloud with telepathy.

The Elite Four member chuckled with a bemused expression, and from the other side of the field, the Trainer in red seemed to silently laugh.

" _I mean, he says 'thank you for the battle.' I'm sorry,"_ the Kalos-native Pokemon apologized politely.

"Oh, it's fine. Shall we continue?"

* * *

" _How much more can you take?"_ Ash asked his Pokemon, a little concerned.

" _Let me defeat another Pokemon. I'm fine."_

" _When do you want to consider Galladite?"_

The Pokemon on the field shrugged and touched the ornate necklace he was wearing. " _They already know that we have the stone. Why not?"_

" _Yeah, I'm planning to use Pikachu and Glaceon after you so they won't need it. But I am going to need you in future battles as well, so I can't push you too hard."_

" _Thanks, Ash. Let's put on a show."_

* * *

The Elite Four Member saw Gallade touch the Mega Stone. She would just have to retaliate with something greater…

* * *

"Lorelei's smart," Max thought aloud.

"How so?" Bonnie asked.

"Spikes. They damage everyone except Pokemon that fly or have Levitate. And those Pokemon are usually weak to Ice-Type moves."

The girl's eyes widened. "Do you think the challenger knows this?"

"Of course," the Hoenn-native replied. "He wouldn't have made it this far without knowing tricks like those. At least, I think so."

* * *

" _Watch out, Gallade. We destroyed the order that Lorelei was going to fight in. She's going to use one of her strongest Pokemon next, so keep an eye out and be careful."_

" _I knoweth, sir'eo!"_

"Articuno!" Lorelei called as she threw an Ultra Ball into the air. The Freeze Pokemon appeared with a defiant, proud expression, shocking many in the stands.

" _I'm expecting Ice Beam,"_ Gallade informed, " _then probably a status ailment and a way to cloud my vision."_

Ash called upon the life energy in himself. He had found Gallade in a Team Rocket base, untrusting of all Humans, and since then…

* * *

Chili's jaw dropped. "He doesn't have a Keystone. That is so…not…fair!"

"Maybe he does but isn't showing it," Cress tried to explain. His monotonous voice didn't help the situation.

"What a bond between Trainer and Pokemon! Like fried rice and eggrolls!" Cilan exclaimed, unaware of the weird look he was receiving from a Kalosian Gym Leader sitting next to them.

* * *

" _Do you think they'll realize that we've never done this before?"_ Ash asked the battling Pokemon.

" _Hm. Maybe, if we screw up,"_ the Psychic and Fighting-Type replied, taking a defensive stance.

* * *

Without warning, liquid spewed all over Ash's side of the battlefield. Mega Gallade tried to Teleport but wasn't prepared for the amount of energy it took to use the move—or, the lack of it. The Psychic and Fighting-Type stumbled, exposing himself to the attack. A numbness coursed through his limbs, and he knew that he had been poisoned.

" _Gallade, use Teleport, then Close Combat!"_ his Trainer instructed, although both Trainer and Pokemon knew that Articuno was also a Flying-Type…

* * *

On the other side of Misty, Gary Oak shook his head, unsatisfied with the battle.

"Stupid! Thunderbolt's not going to help 'cause your special attack stat is nonexistent. And you just revealed your last move," he muttered, sighing with an annoyed expression on his face. "Now the only thing you can do is wait for her to make a mistake."

"Huh? Did you say something?" a blond-hair Gym Leader in a blue jumpsuit asked.

"Oh, I was just talking to myself," the Kantonian replied. "Name's Gary. I'm a Pokemon Researcher from Viridian City."

The other teen smiled, fingering his white backpack nervously. "Clemont. I'm from Kalos."

Articuno used Sky Attack, missing as its opponent used Night Slash to cause a distraction with the ice on the battlefield.

"Hm. Which Gym?"

"Lumiose City."

Gary tried to remember his trip to the region a while ago. "Lumiose, huh. I heard their Gym was run by a robot."

"While I was away, yes," the Gym Leader replied. "I programmed him myself, actually. It helps that I battle with Electric-Types. What Type is _your_ Gym based on?" he asked.

"It's varied. The Association wanted me to stick to Ground-Types, but I usually don't do that. Challengers come to my Gym and are crushed flat because they rely too much on Types. Plus, they always have this weird preconception that I would use Earthquake."

"You sound experienced."

"Heh. Lorelei's going to lose this battle," was the only response.

Clemont looked confused. "How do you know?"

From the battlefield, both Pokemon were starting to look exhausted. Thunderbolt had landed a few times as the Psychic and Fighting-Type Teleported into the air near the Legendary, shocking it with immense power.

"Roost!" Lorelei yelled. The Freeze Pokemon rose up. A green glow started to surround the Ice and Flying-Type.

Mega Gallade seemed to nod, immediately Teleporting to the resting Pokemon and engaging in repeated Close Combats. Articuno shrieked, falling a few feet before regaining its balance.

"Lorelei is the strategizer of the Elite Four, so with the status of both Gallade and Articuno, they would both faint quickly if she engaged further," Gary explained."She wanted Articuno to sweep through more Pokemon, so she took her chance at Roost, even though a Pokemon loses their Flying-Type status for about a minute in doing so. I don't know whether she forgot about that or knew the consequences of using that move, but the smart thing to do now is to switch out, although we all know that's not going to happen."

From the field, the challenger shifted ever so slightly.

"Mind Reader!" Lorelei yelled.

* * *

" _Grace to boot, grace to boot, grace to bo—"_

" _What does that mean?"_ Ash asked silently with Aura.

" _Arceus help us,"_ the Psychic and Fighting-Type translated. " _I have the feeling that—"_

" _Gallade, just trust me on this, 'kay?"_

" _I—"_

* * *

"Articuno, use Sheer Cold!"

* * *

When the frost finally cleared, Gallade was nowhere in sight. From the stands, even the other Elite Four Members seemed surprised. The battlefield had completely frozen over, even to the point that layers upon layers of ice stacked upon the field in a giant, bowl around the Legendary bird. Even the members of the audience could feel the intensity of the attack. Clemont shivered.

Two Mr. Mimes had provided Light Screens and Protects to block the Trainers from getting hurt. Although their barriers had been shattered, the challenger was still surrounded by a perfect semicircle of a no-ice zone, and Lorelei's Jynx had set up its own protective shield. By then, even the monitor above the battlefield showing the teams had frozen over and had stopped working. The screen itself had cracked, and some of the glass had shattered from the power of the attack.

" _Bawdy…pernicious…booby bird…"_

Gallade's Brick Break tore through the ice, sending shards flying across the field. With a fury of jabs, the Blade Pokemon Teleported to his opponent and slammed his fists into the Ice and Flying-Type over and over until the Articuno finally crashed onto the floor.

* * *

" _You're poisoned,"_ Ash reminded his Psychic and Fighting-Type. " _Plus, I made you dig through the battlefield with Brick Break. You must be exhausted."_

" _I am."_

" _How much health do you have?"_ the Trainer asked. " _Like, in percentage."_

" _Ten percent at most,"_ the Blade Pokemon replied, wincing as the poison took effect.

" _I'm going to let you re—"_

" _No,"_ Gallade interrupted. " _Let me fight some more. I can…do this."_

* * *

Clemont blinked in surprise. Usually, the best thing for a poisoned Pokemon to do is rest, right? From the field, Lorelei called out Slowbro.

"Poisoned Pokemon can actually faint in their Pokeballs. The effect isn't as fast, but it is surely potent. If Gallade can take out one more Pokemon, As—"

He cleared his throat. "Anybody can surely see that it's better to keep the Pokemon out to deal extra damage. Plus, Slowbro's place in Lorelei's team isn't as offensive as Articuno's."

A flash of light later, and Slowbro Mega-Evolved.

"Really?" Clemont asked, a little dubious. It sounded like Gary knew more than he should.

The other Gym Leader didn't want to give away the fact that he had been using Psychic to find out the Pokemon's moveset (or the fact that he knew both Trainers personally). "Uh, you can tell by their stances. Gallade seems pretty confident, and the Trainer seems smart. Many Ice-Types are also Water-Types, y'know."

* * *

" _I should recall you,"_ Ash remarked. " _Maybe you should give Vivi a try?"_

" _No. I only have so much before I am unable to continue, and I want to give it my all."_

" _You'll get some rest in your Pokeball."_

" _And?"_ Gallade wasn't convinced.

" _I can give you a Pecha berry after this battle. Then you can go against Bruno, too,"_ the Trainer tried to reason with his stubborn Pokemon.

" _No. Slowbro's Mega-Evolved."_

" _You know, if I try to recall you and you dodge, it's going to make me look bad."_

" _I know."_

" _So you're staying out here?"_

" _You have some revives."_

" _Oh yeah. Well, it's your choice then."_

The Gallade crossed his arms. " _And I choose to stay."_

" _Fine."_

* * *

"Wow, they actually stayed," Gary remarked, laughing aloud. Clemont raised an eyebrow, and the other Gym Leader just shook his head with a smile.

"Slowbro, use Hail."

The audience was surprised to see many other Mr. Mimes using Protect so that the weather would not hurt anyone. Fortunately, their sight was hindered, and Ash was able to keep a faint Aura barrier up without anyone (but Gary) noticing. Lorelei was holding up an umbrella that surprisingly held through the hail, and Ash suspected that she had used it in many battles before this one.

" _Are you sure you still want to…you know what? Just Thunderbolt that thing until it can't do anything anymore."_

" _Gotcha, sir."_

"Scald, and Slack Off."

* * *

"That's rough," Gary remarked, wincing. "Gallade only has about two minutes with poison, Hail, _and_ a burn."

"Gallade's burned?"

"Of course he is. Look at that…stance," the Gym Leader pointed out, trying to sound convincing.

* * *

Ash returned his Pokemon, glad that he was able to defeat two opponents and injure another. Just before his Pokemon could be hurt from another attack, the Trainer had recalled him, confident that his damage calculations were correct. Another minute or so and Gallade would've been done.

"Good job," he muttered aloud, thankful that the Blade Pokemon had tried his hardest.

Pikachu promptly ran out from under Ash's cape. To the audience, a yellow blur was called out.

" _Where are you going?"_ the Trainer asked, making his Electric-Type smirk victoriously.

" _To battle, of course. I want that Mega."_

" _You're just saying that because it's a Water-Type."_

Pikachu tried to be convincing. " _Nope."_

" _Fine, go ahead. It's your battle too. Plus, I'll—"_

" _You'll look bad if you try to call me back, and they'll find you out when they realize that I have no Pokeball."_

" _Exactly."_

* * *

"And now he's being an idiot and…" Gary trailed off, staring intensely at the battlefield. "Wow, that's actually pretty smart."

"What?" Clemont asked.

"His Pikachu's out there."

The Electric-Type Gym Leader became suspicious. "Who uses a _Pikachu_ in a battle against the Elite Four?!"

* * *

"Slowbro is unable to battle," the referee shouted.

"WHAT?" Lorelei yelled, trying to hear the referee through the sudden _boom_ that shook the field.

"CHOOSE YOUR NEXT POKEMON!"

"Okay, sorry!" the Elite Four Member apologized. "Jynx, come on out!"

* * *

Two minutes later, the screens depicting the battle had malfunctioned due to the Hail. They didn't help much in the first place, but Max couldn't help but be annoyed anyway.

"Jynx is unable to battle! Lorelei, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Wow, that was fast," Max told Bonnie. "I wonder who's battling down there."

* * *

Cynthia crossed her arms, smiling contently as Lorelei's fourth Pokemon fell. Next to her, Alder started to laugh.

"You know which Pokemon is battling, right?" the Unovian Champion asked.

"Yep," the Sinnoh-native replied.

"You know who the challenger is, don't you?"

"Yep."

"Would you mind telling me?"

"Yep."

On the other side of the Sinnoh Champion, Diantha snifled a laugh. "You'll see," she spoke up, turning to the other two Trainers. "He's pretty hard to forget."

"I think you've met him before," Cynthia remarked, turning to Alder. "Of course, you wouldn't remember anyway, so I'm not ruining anything."

"My memory isn't _that_ bad!" the Champion of Unova exclaimed.

Diantha watched as the challenger shifted slightly as if he was uncomfortable with standing still for so long. "You know," she spoke up, "when I first met him, I didn't expect him to be a veteran Trainer. He's not battling with any of the Pokemon he got from Kalos so far."

"Not from Unova or Sinnoh, either," Cynthia added on. "It's funny. I think Kalos was his sixth region, and Sinnoh was his fourth. And Unova was probably his fifth."

"He must have a lot of Pokemon," the Kalosian Trainer surmised.

"Yeah. It must've been hard to choose seven."

Alder listened to the two women converse with each other about the unknown challenger. He hadn't met any experienced foreign Trainers in a while. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd even set foot out of Unova.

There was something missing, but the Unovian Trainer couldn't quite place it.

* * *

" _Pikachu, let Vivi go. Please."_

" _Fine,"_ the Electric-Type conceded. " _But I get to go against Lance."_

" _Okay, just come back. Hail is about to stop."_

* * *

" _Vivi, get out there and do your best. Oh yeah, you want to go as Glaceon. Trust me."_

" _Okay! I'm ready!"_

Ash knew what Pikachu was thinking: why would he send a mere hatchling into battle against the strongest Trainers in Kanto?

His answer was simple. Vivi deserved to battle. She'd trained too hard to sit on the sidelines. Even if she was knocked out quickly, the Evolution Pokemon had the determination that would bring her right back.

From the other side of the field, Lorelei sent out her Lapras.

* * *

"Ash Ketchum has a Pikachu," Clemont pondered aloud. Gary heard him, and his eyes widened a little as he realized he'd been revealing too much.

"You know Ash?" the Viridian Gym Leader asked.

"Of course. We used to travel together. He was actually my role model, but we parted ways after he decided to go back to Kanto," the Electric-Type user replied sheepishly.

The Researcher couldn't keep it in. He started laughing. "Ash was your role model?! That's like, absurd! He's like, the dumbest guy I know!"

" _Keep it down, will ya?"_ a voice sounded in his head, " _I'm trying to concentrate."_

" _Haha, I will. Beat that lady up for me, then add me to your Elite Four when you're done."_

" _You'll have to find your own way to prove yourself,"_ Ash reminded his friend as Lapras used Hydro Pump. Glaceon dodged, twisting to the right as the attack soared past her ear.

"Gary? Hello?" Clemont waved a hand in front of the Electric-Type Trainer's face.

"Hmmm? Oh, sorry. I must've been…thinking too much again. I do that a lot these days," the other Gym Leader apologized.

Lapras glared at the Fresh Snow Pokemon's cheerful look and promptly used Fissure without the direction of his Trainer. Ash stared, surprised, before realizing that he hadn't instructed Vivi to dodge. Fortunately, the Ice-Type knew what the move could do and got out of the way just in time.

" _That's not fair!"_ the Glaceon yelled at the Transport Pokemon. " _Fissure should be illegal!"_

" _Little one,"_ Lapras replied, his voice as cold as the ice around him, " _you need to learn that sometimes, LIFE'S NOT FAIR!"_ As he shouted, Fissure was used again, and this time, Glaceon barely got away before the ground opened up where she was standing a second ago.

" _Don't listen to him,"_ Ash reassured the Ice-Type silently. " _You of all Pokemon should know that we can overcome our problems, even though life's not fair."_

" _Thank you, Ash."_

" _Now, use Hail!"_ the Trainer instructed.

Glaceon didn't understand but called Hail upon the stadium anyway. Again, the battlefield was showered upon, and neither Pokemon took any damage.

" _I feel faster,"_ the Ice-Type realized.

" _That's your Ability. Now trust me and move to the left! Sand Attack!"_

" _I'm ready,"_ Vivi announced, feeling energized, and jumped out of the way of another Fissure. It was getting a little harder for her to see through the Hail, but the eeveelution had an Aura Adept on her side. Lapras was going down.

* * *

" _Vivi, Sand Attack! Now, uh…Synchronize!"_

The Ice-Type laughed weakly, showing that she was exhausted from dodging so much. " _I have a better idea,"_ she spoke up, barely avoiding another well-placed Fissure.

" _What is it?"_ the Trainer asked.

" _I learned Mimic yesterday…"_

* * *

"Dewgong!" Lorelei shouted, bringing out her last Pokemon.

" _Vivi, can you…"_ Ash started but trailed off when he realized that Lapras had used Perish Song right before she'd fainted. His Pokemon was out cold, and the Trainer had to recall her immediately.

He then noticed that Hail was still standing strong.

" _Pikachu, finish this quickly please."_

* * *

"Haha, he won," Gary remarked, grinning as he and Clemont exited the ruined stadium for a ten-minute break.

"Lorelei took down two of his Pokemon though," the Lumiose Gym Leader relayed his thoughts aloud. "At this rate, he won't be able to beat the other members of the Elite Four."

"He'll be able to make it. Usually, Trainers pack Revives and Potions," the Pokemon Researcher assured, but realized that Ash didn't bring either of those items with him anywhere. All his efforts were through pure grinding and repetitive training (which in his opinion, was one of the many qualities of Ash that made him a mature but stupid Trainer).

"Aren't those illegal during battles?" Clemont asked.

"Of course they are. But during each break, the Trainers can have their Pokemon eat berries and medicine to regain some strength. In a way, it tests the ability for the team to recover. "Plus, after that, the Pokemon are still able to fight when they wake up."

"You mean, since the challenger's Pokemon will wake up by the time Lance is up against him, Gallade and Glaceon can still battle?"

"Yup. It's harsh, but one move can make a difference."

"Ouch."

"Clemont!" Serena suddenly called out, appearing behind the two teens. "And Gary Oak, right?"

"Yep," the Viridian City Gym Leader replied, chuckling before looking at the two Trainers in front of him. "How do you two know each other?" he asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"We traveled together a while ago," Clemont replied. "Serena's a Pokemon Performer."

"Oh, cool. I didn't know that."

There was a slight pause.

"What's a Pokemon Performer?"

* * *

Inside the enclosed 'locker room,' Ash took his hat off and lounged against a chair. Slowly and steadily, he brought Aura back to his hands. As he did so, his Talonflame wings disappeared.

" _You okay so far?"_ Pikachu asked.

"I'm going to pull the Aura back again for the next battle," the Trainer replied as he concentrated. "By the end of the Elite Four Challenge, I'll be able to say goodbye to the feathers. No offense or anything, but they're really inconvenient."

" _Ash, none of us have feathers. We aren't offended,"_ Garchomp spoke up.

"Well, Pidgeot does, and just in case she's spying on me in this room, I need to apologize."

" _See, our Trainer is mentally deranged,"_ Charizard remarked.

" _He talks to himself because we all know that Humans can't understand Pokemon,"_ Pikachu joined in.

Greninja chuckled, crossing his arms. " _They_ _do_ _have a point."_

There were a few knocks on the door.

"What's up?" the Trainer asked.

A teenage girl with a bright, pink shirt and an 'event volunteer' pin walked in the room. Upon seeing the Trainer without his hat, she gasped and froze.

"Uh, hi," Ash greeted awkwardly. "Is there something up?"

" _Thou art an airhead,"_ Gallade muttered as he flipped himself over on a couch, exhausted. The poison and burn had worn off, courtesy of a few medicinal berries, but the Pokemon was still in no shape to battle.

The teen tried to act friendly. "My name is Ash. What's yours?"

"Kathi," the girl introduced herself, blushing madly.

The Trainer didn't seem to notice. "Well Kathi, I think I can trust you to keep my team a secret, right?" he asked. "I mean, it would spoil the fun, and…" He trailed off, looking into the other teen's stunned eyes.

"Sure, sure! Anything for you!"

" _She's enthusiastic,"_ Greninja noted. Garchomp nodded in agreement, trying not to laugh.

"Well, this is Pikachu," Ash introduced his Pokemon, "Charizard, Sceptile, Garchomp and Greninja. You've already seen my Gallade and Eevee in action."

" _Glaceon,"_ Sceptile corrected, keeping his face hidden behind the encyclopedia he was reading.

"Glaceon, I mean…"

"Uh," Kathi spoke up, looking tense, "I'm here to tell you that you have like," she turned to her watch, "three minutes?"

"Oh thanks," Ash responded, putting his hat back on to the point where it covered his eyes, and stood up, adjusting his cape. "I'll be out in a sec."

The girl gingerly closed the door behind her as she exited the room, and Ash was left alone with his Pokemon.

"Gallade, Vivi, I'm leaving some berries in the room for you," the Trainer called out. "When you're ready, you can come out and watch. If you're still feeling bad after a thirty minutes or so, come out and tell me. I'll have Garchomp or Sceptile help you."

" _Thanks,"_ Vaporeon replied faintly, sitting in a sink on a counter. The water was running, but even with Water Absorb, it would take a while before the Bubble Jet Pokemon was back at full health.

There was no reply from the Blade Pokemon; he was asleep.

Ash recalled his battling Pokemon (except Pikachu, of course), drained Aura from his palms, and turned his eyes red. "Good?" he asked Pikachu.

" _Yeah."_

* * *

"Charizard, do you want X or Y?"

" _Does it matter?"_

"Yes."

" _Can I take both?"_

"No."

" _Fine. Be that way."_

* * *

 **First of all, I'd like to thank _everyone_ for 200 follows (eh, more like, 204 by now) and 197 favorites. When I first began this, I didn't think that I would gain so much popularity. It has been a pretty surprising, yet rewarding, journey, and I'm glad that I was able to experience it with all of you.**

 **By the way, there's still a poll on my profile that I'd like you guys to vote on if you'd like.**

 **So how did I do with this battle? I know I kinda cheated with Pikachu, but honesty, he's been one of Ash's aces for six regions. By now, he's probably at level 300 or something.**

 **I'd like to talk about how Grammarly thinks 'Clemont' is not a word, or how Shakespearean translators aren't completely accurate, but I think Kathi is a better conversation topic. I love that girl. She's like, the enthusiastic fangirl community: personified. I'm really sorry if your name is Kathi. Apparently, that name's popularity peaked in the 1950s or so.**

 **Favorite sentence of this chapter: _"Thou art an airhead."_**

 **One more thing. Some of you might be wondering how Gallade can be burned _and_ poisoned. They never show this in the anime (and I don't think they do in the manga, either), but in the games, it's impossible. But think about it. If a black mamba bites you at the same time someone sets you on fire, wouldn't you be burned _and_ poisoned? Then someone could shock you and you could become paral...uh, I mean, dead. Theoretically, of course. ****Either way, I like to make Ash suffer.**

 **Dang. This was a long chapter. Probably my longest yet.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned for Bruno!**


	29. Chapter 29

**So I've been thinking, and I realized that I was too busy to write this fanfic anymore, and I guess this is the last chapter of EOTR so enjoy.**

 **^That was such a lame excuse for an April Fool's joke. :P**

 **It's a prank, bro.**

 **(I'm too tired to do this, haha.)**

 **Anyway, happy 20th anniversary! Today marks the Pokemon anime's twentieth birthday, and it has been one heck of a ride. Ash Ketchum is still a moneymaker, and Pikachu's still the mascot. Dang...I feel old, even though I'm one of the newer (on the twenty-year scale) fans.**

 **I still remember shipping Ash with Misty so hard, crying when the original three split up, being constantly annoyed at Max, shipping May and Drew, wondering if Dawn liked Ash, laughing at Conway, being annoyed at Paul for being an edgelord, hating on Tobias for being Tobias, wondering 'what the heck is going on' when being introduced to Iris and Cilan, holding onto the belief that the anime will get better, almost losing faith during the Decolore Island saga, cheering when Ash jumped off Lumiose Tower, loving Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena, feeling excited when Ash-Greninja was beating up Mega Gardevoir, feeling the salt after the Kalos League, and seeing the leaks for Alola...**

 **As I said, it's been one heck of a ride, and Pokemon's not going anywhere.**

 **Twenty years from now, I hope to remember Ash as the strongest Pokemon Trainer in the world. Then again, he was (and is) my childhood hero.**

 **Without further ado, let's get into some reviews.**

 **-Lianne: To be honest, I sucked. This chapter shows my laziness when writing battles. You'll see. But thanks for the encouragement, anyway! And as for why Ash is camera-shy...I think it was the episode where he fights Gunshoos where he gets his picture in the paper, but he has that awkward smile that made the moment pretty cute. Anyway, it's been a long time and my memory's hazy.**

 **-stardust902: Thanks. You don't know how much this means to me, especially since I'm stuck in the middle of writing a few boring battles. (I'd much rather write emotional or funny scenes!) Thank you again for your encouragement!**

 **-narutoDkurosaki: I can agree. Nothing much happened during the last chapter. Oh, and I might've explained this earlier, but Lance is the Champion _and_ an Elite Four Member. The previous one quit or something like that, and they weren't going to add someone else 'cause they haven't proved themselves or anything. And because I don't want to write another battle where Ash realizes that his father's the Champion or something sappy like that. Ewww. xD**

 **-AgitatedDog9288: It's heating up? I didn't notice, haha. Maybe I'm just tired from volunteering this afternoon. (Yay, I'm such a good person...nope.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It'll 'heat up' here.**

 **-O Jordino O: Yeah. I agree wholeheartedly. When I was first writing this, I wondered whether I should put that concept in, but then realized that I had introduced the idea that the region professors were coming up with the leveling system and battle statistics. And since battling simulators have already been invented, there are some theoretical stats that Pokemon would have. And since Sceptile's a nerd...I guess the entire team had been forced to listen to his lectures about 'Professor Kukui's idea on the classification of moves' or something like that. And as for the other parts of your comment...yeah, I don't know how to write battles. But I'm pretty sure they Sheer Cold and etc. are 1HKO moves in the anime. Goodra got hit by Guilotine, didn't it? And the announcer said that it was a 1HKO. And the story was supposed to be crack but has some serious elements to it. And one more thing: they don't know that Ash is the challenger. Hope that helped!**

 **-Noxlux013: I don't know how battles are interesting to read, to be honest. When I read other fanfics, I skim over those and just look for the ending. Haha, I'm just lame like that. And about Bruno, same! Lorelei kept killing my team back when I played, so once I got through that, Bruno was pretty easy. Agatha...don't remember much about her. But Blue's Blastoise...DANG, that tilted me.**

 **-multyfangirl: I was about to use Y when I realized that Dragon-Type is much cooler. And as for Mega Charizard Z...those fanart images are pretty cool. Anyway, Thanks for your review.**

 **-MalayTheDynamo: Awww, you're making me feel warm and happy inside. xD Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **-Lectori Salutem: Yeah, Pikachu's pretty powerful, and the anime underestimates him. I mean, Pikachu's been in, what, six full regions? Deadly powerful, if you ask me.**

 **-ultimateCCC: Thanks for pointing out that mistake. I had something along the lines of 'liquid spewed over the field' or something like that, and it wasn't very descriptive.**

 **-Johnny Spectre: Such a good idea! I will try to incorporate it in the future, but for now, Charizard will have to play by the rules.**

 **-bladetri: xD xD**

 **-mountainelements: Haha, true. I wrote this years ago, didn't I? Anyway, thank you for bearing with me through the beginning. I still have plotholes to fill from the filler I had earlier. Anyway, thanks for reading.**

 **Oh, I forgot to apologize for the week-long break. I just didn't want to edit this chapter.**

 **Yep, that's my excuse.**

* * *

At the peak of Mount Silver, a team of Pokemon huddled together, taking in the sights and keeping warm with their leader's flame.

" _We should tell Ash,"_ Swellow suggested. " _There's no one here except Zubat, Clefairy and Geodude colonies."_

 _"But we saw some Ursaring, Donphan and Larvitar, too,"_ Noivern replied. _"And Sneasel and Ponyta and_ _—_ _"_

 _"It was a hyperbole, you know. An exaggeration."_

" _Pallet Town is on the other side of Kanto, though,"_ Daro the Tauros spoke up, shivering in the below-freezing temperatures.

" _What should we do, Infernape?"_ Torterra asked. " _Ash also told us to…you know…"_

Hawlucha nodded along, agreeing.

The Fire and Fighting-Type looked at his team, which had been stuck at the peak for days. They were in no position to climb down—they didn't have enough supplies to last them for such a long time—and the wild Pokemon distrusted them, especially after the team introduced themselves as a Trainer's Pokemon. Food at the top of the mountain was easier to get, especially since the residents living in caves were a bit friendlier.

" _I…"_ the Flame Pokemon spoke up, " _don't know."_

Daro scoffed. " _You're kidding me, right? Make up your mind, Mr. Leader!"_

" _He's right, you know,"_ Torterra added on. " _We can't stay around for much longer. And there's the strange thing about this place too: why are the caves significantly warmer?"_

As Noivern shrugged, the Fire and Fighting-Type was left to consider his options.

" _Alright,"_ he decided. " _Let's move in groups…"_

* * *

The sun hung high in the sky, casting shadows upon the battlefield as clouds moved past the stadium. Ash would've regretted wearing a windbreaker if it wasn't for the chilling breeze that swept through the air. Under his cape, Pikachu had fallen asleep, and the Trainer didn't blame him. The challenge was seriously testing his concentration.

"Bruno, please send out your first Pokemon!" the referee yelled.

"Hitmontop, show me your strength!" the Elite Four Member roared.

The Handstand Pokemon appeared in a flash.

" _Charizard, remember not to expend you—"_

" _I know!"_ The Flame Pokemon appeared, roaring loudly for effect. " _I'm acting weak right now."_

" _You are?"_

" _Only weak Charizard show off,"_ his Pokemon replied.

" _Oh. So…"_ Ash was about to throw in a bad joke, but Hitmontop had used Toxic. Caught off guard, the Fire and Flying-Type just barely dodged as the poison soared past his wing.

* * *

"Hey," May suddenly spoke up, turning to the new girl—Serena, she was pretty sure—who had been watching the battle intensely.

"That's a pretty Sylveon you have there," she remarked casually.

The Kalos-native Trainer smiled shyly at the Fairy-type in her lap. "Thanks," she replied. "She's one of my performing partners."

Sylveon waved a ribbon, enjoying the attention.

The Pokemon Coordinator grabbed a Pokeball from her fanny pack and released her Glaceon, who raised a paw in greeting at both the Trainer and Pokemon. As the Eeveelutions began to converse, Sylveon hopped off of her Trainer's lap to sit by her new friend.

"So." The Princess of Hoenn smiled genuinely. "You came all the way from Kalos for _this_?"

There was a short pause—Hitmontop had scored a direct hit on Charizard, spinning around in a well-placed kick—before the other girl replied. "No, Iris sort-of convinced me to come watch." She chuckled a little to herself, watching the two Pokemon spar before she finally asked the question that had been on her mind since the beginning of the match.

"So how do you all know each other?"

The Coordinator thought for a second, watching the Charizard on the battlefield use Flamethrower at the Hitmontop. The Flame Pokemon dived in, ready to attack physically, but a well-placed kick was enough to push it back.

"It's a funny story, actually," she finally answered. "So there's a girl currently sitting in the Gym Leader section. Her name's Misty, and basically, she met me while I was traveling in Hoenn. I met Dawn while I was in Sinnoh, and Dawn met Iris in Unova. And I think Iris met you while she was in Kalos, right?"

Serena's eyes fixed into the distance, where Hitmontop had tried to use Close Combat. Charizard dodged again and sent an Air Slash at the Handstand Pokemon. "Actually, we met in Hoenn," the Performer corrected the other girl. "But please continue."

"And the thing is, we all know Ash Ketchum too, so we instantly clicked. I would email Misty about our adventures in Hoenn, Dawn and I had a small rivalry—since we're both Pokemon Coordinators, you know—and it's always fun to compete against her, Iris would complain to Dawn about how Ash was always such a 'kid,' and I bet Iris emails you sometimes too."

"Mhm." Serena couldn't help but feel a little down. Ash had traveled with so many other girls. No wonder…

She shoved her rising uncomfortability down her throat. "W-why aren't you guys still traveling?" she asked.

As Charizard sped up, feigning an attack, Hitmontop tried to use High Jump Kick but barely missed, hitting its legs on the hard ground instead.

"I parted ways with Ash to pursue my goal as a Pokemon Coordinator," May admitted. "I wanted to get stronger, and what better way to do that than to travel to a region that Ash had experience in? I have a feeling Dawn had to pursue her goals as well. Misty had an obligation to the Gym she runs, and Iris wanted to train under Clair, Lance, and other Dragon Masters around the area to pursue her goals."

The Pokemon Performer tried to hide her growing smile. _Of course_ they were all just friends to Ash. Were they?

Sylveon sensed her Trainer's insecurity and wrapped a ribbon around her wrist in an attempt to lighten her up. Serena gave her Fairy-Type a reassuring smile, proceeding to listen to May talk about her old adventures with the Kantonian Trainer. It was nice to hear her ramble on and on about the loud, expressive (he was still in rookie-stage, Serena presumed) Trainer and his mishaps across the entire region.

* * *

"Wait a second," May turned to her new friend. "You haven't told me about how you guys saved Kalos!"

"How did you know about that?" the other girl asked. Although a news broadcast had been implemented, most of the details were skipped in both reports and on TV.

"Ash always gets into this sort of stuff," May casually replied. Now, what happened?"

At this, Dawn turned around in her seat. "Are we talking about _that_ again?" she asked.

The other Pokemon Coordinator giggled a little, turning to face the Performer. "Apparently, Dawn's got it worse out of everyone here," she explained. "Honestly, I have trouble figuring out if half her stories are true."

"Let's see if you can beat me!" the bluette exclaimed excitedly. "And Ash getting mind controlled or jumping off cliffs is an old one by now. Choose wisely."

Serena laughed aloud, looking down at her Sylveon shyly. Hmmm…

"So there was this one time when we were eating donuts in a desert resort, and this ring appeared…"

* * *

"Hitmonlee, come on out!"

Ash didn't understand why a Hitmonlee would be coming out right after Hitmontop fainted. Was it a strategy? No. Bruno wasn't the type to strategize. From just his lackadaisical stance, Ash could already tell that his opponent didn't even care if he lost. But why was that?

The Trainer vaguely recalled doing chores for the Elite Four Member.

" _Charizard, I forbid you to faint,"_ he instructed, " _or else I have to send Mega-Sceptile out instead of—"_

" _You're such a meanie."_

* * *

" _I'm bored,"_ Charizard told his Trainer.

" _It's okay. Same,"_ Ash replied.

" _Ash?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _Why is Bruno so easy to fight?"_

" _Probably because you have the Type Advantage,"_ the teen answered, trying not to visibly wince as Hitmonlee was assaulted by Flamethrowers.

The Elite Four Member didn't even look fazed at his loss. Ash could only stare at his opponent in confusion. It was as if the Fighting-Type Trainer was _willing_ to give up his victory. If Lance was watching, did he notice?

"Steelix! Give me your all!" Bruno yelled, loud enough for the entire stadium to hear.

" _Okay, get ready…"_

* * *

"The challenger is so hot," Kathi whispered to her best friend Jenni as they watched the battle from the stands. "He's really nice, too."

"You mean, he talks?"

"Yes, and he has the cutest face! There's the shaggy, black hair and those dreamy, amber eyes that you can get lost in…" she trailed off. "You know how they were worried that the challenger might not even be from Kanto?" the girl asked.

"Mhm," Jenni responded in affirmative.

"I'm pretty sure he is! Honestly, I think he's one of those talented ones from around Viridian City. Like where Gary Oak comes from. Now _that's_ another hottie! I wasn't even disappointed when I lost to him during my journey back then, you know?"

"Wow. Do you think you could introduce me?"

"Sorry. I made a promise. But if he reveals himself, _I_ get the proposal, alright? Just wait!"

* * *

"That's one powerful Charizard," Iris exclaimed in awe. "It kinda looks like Ash's, but I've honestly only seen literally two Charizard in my life, so I wouldn't know…"

* * *

Charla watched the Elite Four Challenge from her Valley, eyes glued to the screen.

" _Coolio,"_ one of the youngsters commented. " _He's doing well."_

One of the elders rolled their eyes. " _Stupid little runt. I could do better."_

" _Of course you can, but the only species you fight is Charizard,"_ another one remarked and got an angry glare in return.

" _He's dreamy,"_ Charla sighed.

" _You're one lucky lass,"_ the Flame Pokemon next to her remarked, staring. " _Look at the stone around his neck."_

* * *

"Steelix! Let's show them our bond!"

" _Ready, Charizard?"_

" _Always."_

* * *

"He's crushing Bruno," Max remarked, staring intensely. "Wow."

"Well, he _is_ using his Charizard against all of them. Flying-Type is strong against Fighting-Types." Bonnie shrugged, unimpressed.

"Still, it's really cool."

* * *

"Sandstorm," Bruno immediately instructed. "Block his view."

" _Charizard, up!"_ Ash countered. " _Spin with Wing Attack!"_

As the Fire and _Dragon_ -Type shot up into the sky, enjoying the power boost he'd received. His form emerged above the clouds of dust and sand. Wing Attack had protected him against the bulk of the opponent's attack.

" _Beware of Steelix's Ability,"_ Ash warned his Pokemon. " _Some of his attacks are stronger if I remember correctly. It was smart to get rid of that Flying-Type, but I'm not sure whether he anticipated our move."_

" _I doubt it,"_ Charizard replied, dodging an attack—was that a Dragonbreath?—that almost grazed his feet.

" _Flamethrower,"_ the Trainer instructed. " _Play safe for now."_

" _Gotcha."_

"Hey, you. Challenger," Bruno called out over the cheering audience. "I'm sure you noticed my game plan by now."

Ash didn't know how to respond. Should he give himself away by replying with Aura? Stay silent? Continue battling, while he's distracted?

The Flame Pokemon glanced at his Trainer uncertainly. What was going on?

"I recognized your Charizard from the Indigo Conference a while back," the Elite Four Member explained. "And he was back for the Silver Conference, no? You two have improved. You're even equipped with a Mega Evolution now."

" _Stop embarrassing me,"_ the Fire and Dragon-Type muttered. " _Those were the worst days of my existence."_

" _You're weird,"_ Mega Steelix remarked, staring down the Mega Charizard X. " _Been talking to yourself the entire match, no? Or was it to your Trainer?"_

Bruno chuckled. "Are you here to burn me to _ash_ , just like the way you do to your other opponents?"

Ouch.

" _I...I guess,"_ the challenger gingerly replied, using his Aura to communicate. " _Why haven't you been taking me seriously?"_

"That's a nifty trick you have there. No wonder you didn't talk; it's a great strategy 'cause your opponents can't predict you, no?"

" _You haven't answered his question,"_ Charizard spoke up

Even if Bruno couldn't understand him, the other Trainer got the message. "I was bribed," the Elite Four Member revealed, just loud enough that the only recipients of the message were the ones on the battlefield. Not even the referee, who was standing on a podium behind a plastic barrier (which protected him from Sandstorm) could hear the conversation.

" _Bribed?"_ Charizard asked. Ash echoed his Pokemon's skepticism.

"Someone thought that by putting you in power, Lance would have a weaker grip on the government, and you could be installed as a puppet figurehead," Bruno explained. "There are Kantonians that dislike Lance because he's from Johto, you see, 'cause Kanto and Johto have had a history of resentment. Others don't agree that a person should be Champion of more than one region _and_ serve as an Elite Four Member. Too much power for one person, they say. And since you might be from Kanto, my client is hoping that you succeed."

" _My Pokemon have been telling me this, but I didn't really think it would be true,"_ Ash remarked.

"The fact that people are willing to bet that you're from Kanto? Or that I was bribed?" Bruno asked.

" _The former,"_ the Trainer replied. " _But…why are you doing this?"_

Steelix started up his Sandstorm again, causing his Mega Charizard X to rise higher above the battlefield. Bruno watched his Pokemon with a knowing look. "I only care about myself. It's the way the world works, no?"

Ash let this sink in. Was he telling the truth? From the battlefield, Steelix had used Dig to form a tunnel under the battlefield. He surfaced a few seconds later, casting a sad smile at the Trainer on the other side of the field.

The Steel and Ground-Type sighed. " _He wasn't bribed. More like blackmailed, but he can't admit it. An Elite Four Member has to protect Kanto at all costs, no?"_

* * *

A crash was heard throughout the stadium. Both Pokemon fell, fainted. Sandstorm continued to rage, making it harder to see (courtesy of a certain Steelix). Charizard had reverted back to his normal form, and so had the Steel and Ground-Type on the other side of the field. The ground was covered in holes, and it was made clear that the fight must've caused at least twenty minutes of struggling between both Pokemon.

One word described the outcome: Explosion.

"I'm guessing that his starter is Charizard," Max thought aloud.

Bonnie wasn't too sure. "I don't think so. Does everyone in Kanto fight this way?"

"Fight how?" Max asked as a Sceptile was sent out bearing a twig in the corner of his mouth. Max thought the Pokemon looked like a Sceptile he knew, but the boy was too busy having a conversation to notice anything out of the norm.

"Fight like that." Bonnie pointed at the field, glancing at her new friend. "It's kinda like this Kanto-native I know."

"Hah," the young boy voiced, smirking. "Kantonians rely on brute strength and little-to-no strategy. So although they Pokemon may be really strong, the Trainers usually put very little thought into their strategies and are easy to beat. I mean, Hoenn is pretty similar, but we do a bit more strategizing to compensate for the fact that Kantonian Pokemon are pretty strong. Plus, they don't emphasize the League as much in other regions."

"Yeah," Bonnie agreed, "like Kalos. We only had sixty-four Trainers make it to the League last year, and although it may've been because of Mega Evolution, it was pretty lackluster."

The son of the Petalburg Gym Leader tried to recall his memory. "Isn't Kalos very, very far away?"

"It's across the ocean, and I had to take a plane to get here with my boring, idiot brother," Bonnie started to rant. "I don't know how I survived, especially since Clemont kept exploding half the plane with his stupid half-finished inventions. He even tried to make a TV but that didn't work out. I found a wife for him, but he threatened to throw me out of the plane if I asked her out for him. And then there was the fact that—"

"Okay, I get it," Max replied, starting to laugh as Bruno's Onix started to strangle the Forest Pokemon. Several members of the audience gave the boy weird looks.

"Sorry," the Hoenn-native apologized and returned to watching a Frenzy Plant grow from the ground, pulling at the Rock-Type.

* * *

May let out a strangled yell at the sight of the Grass-Type taking the stage.

She recognized that Pokemon. There was only one Sceptile that she knew that bore a twig in his mouth, and that was _Ash's_ Sceptile.

"What is it?" Dawn asked, voice laced with concern.

"Nothing," the coordinator replied a little too quickly.

The battling figure turned to look in her general direction, May was almost sure that his eyes widened underneath the shade of his hat, which—she didn't know how she didn't notice it at first—replicated Sir Aaron's Aura Guardian cap). The cape was like one Sir Aaron would wear, and his eyes...probably the work of Aura.

If Lucario's eyes glowed blue when Aura was used, would they glow red if Aura was taken away? Ash had surely mastered Aura, and now he was back on the map after disappearing to who-knows-where with a new Gallade and Glaceon. And he had a Charizard too, didn't he?

"Ash?" May whispered under her breath to no one in particular.

" _Yeah?"_ Ash replied in her head.

So _that's_ why he didn't command his Pokemon verbally. He didn't need to. "Wow."

" _Heh. I think Sceptile is doing a fine job right now, so I'm a little bored. How's life?"_

"It's cool. I'm thinking of heading to Kalos to check out their seemingly refined form of battling. What do you think?"

The Aura adept seemed to chuckle as he continued staring at the battlefield. " _It's a great idea. I met so many great Trainers, and everyone there is so nice."_

"Serena seems to have a thing for you."

" _You're right next to her, and you're gossiping?"_ Ash questioned his friend's motives.

May laughed. "Oh, so you know."

" _Know what?"_

"Nevermind, Mr. Oblivious."

The battling Trainer shook his head with a smile, seemingly making Bruno angry. "AGATHA WILL CRUSH YOU!" he yelled.

" _You just made him mad at me,"_ Ash remarked, although there was a hint of hesitation in his words. " _I was about to say that calling other people names isn't a very nice thing to do…"_

* * *

"And now we will have a thirty-minute intermission! Don't forget to stop by the booths we have around Indigo Plateau to enjoy the Kanto experience, and remember to come back for hopefully two more rounds of battles!"

Ash looked around and saw a reporter walk up to him as people started to leave the area.

" _Bye,"_ he called to May. " _Someone's coming to bother me."_

"Hello, Mr. Challenger. Can you come with us so we can ask a few questions?" Reporter Sandy Spinner walked up to him, camera crew handy. He nodded in reply—it was mandatory, so there was no point in saying no—and was practically dragged into a private room.

"So, Mr. Challenger, are you from Kanto?"

Ash made a writing motion with his hand, and Sandy sighed, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen off a nearby countertop.

"Are you from Kanto?" she repeated the question, crossing her legs underneath the table.

 **I hope so.**

She took out her notebook and began to record answers. "Did you come from Pallet Town?"

 **Maybe.**

"What are Pokemon to you?" the reporter asked the famed question that Pokemon experts all over the world discussed.

Ash paused, thinking about his past experiences with his Pokemon. Pikachu, Charizard, Sceptile, Infernape...even Giratina, Arceus, and Squishy...Meowth and Wobbuffett, too. And Greninja, who he literally merged with.

 **They're partners,** he listed out, **Gods, friends and family. But I believe that all Pokemon have good hearts. They're only led astray by some of us humans with horrible desires.**

"That's a unique viewpoint," Sandy commented, trying not to feel like an idiot as she did so. Interviewing a person who didn't talk was...complicated.

"So which one of you Pokemon is your Starter?" she asked. "The world thinks it's your Charizard, but others aren't so sure."

The Trainer smiled widely, tilting his hat upwards. Sandy didn't recognize him, but her eyes widened as she realized that Ash didn't look like he was anywhere near adulthood.

 **Actually, I don't think you've seen my Starter yet. He'll be recognizable when you see him, though.**

"I'm surprised that you're so young," Reporter Spinner noticed. "How old _are_ you?"

Ash could feel Pikachu's silent snickers from his bag.

 **No comment.**

"Well then. Do you think you have a good chance of becoming Kanto's Champion?"

 **Would I be here if I thought I would lose to Lorelei?**

"That's true. You know, I'm supposed to ask for your name, but I'm pretty sure that you won't tell me anyway," Sandy sighed.

 **True.**

"Do you even talk?" Sandy asked, frustration visible in her eyes.

 **Yes.**

"Then why don't you?"

" _Because he's an idiot,"_ a semi-tired Gallade walked into the room along with a refreshed Glaceon. " _And because he's having fun."_

" _Hi!"_ Vivi greeted, jumping into her Trainer's lap.

 **My Gallade is a great translator.**

" _My Trainer says that he wants to give a shoutout to all the girls he knows for supporting his love life,"_ Gallade used Psychic as he joked about Ash's nonexistent relationships.

" _I did not say that."_ Ash gave his Pokemon a look, making Vivi laugh.

Sandy, seeing the Trainer's embarrassed face, smiled. "So your bond is so great that Gallade can instantly understand what you're thinking?"

" _Tell her it's 'cause you're psychic,"_ the Trainer instructed, rolling his eyes at his Pokemon's antics.

" _It's because I use telepathy,"_ the Blade Pokemon revealed. " _But that works too."_

"So, Mr. Challenger, why have you come to the Indigo Plateau for the Elite Four Challenge?"

" _So that we can grow closer and stronger as a team,"_ Gallade responded.

Ash smiled at his Pokemon. The Psychic and Fighting-Type could be sappy at times, and it was pretty funny.

"Anything else you would like to say?" Reporter Spinner asked the three.

" _I do,"_ Vivi yawned, " _but I'm not allowed to turn into Espeon until my next battle."_

" _Glaceon has something to say,"_ Gallade translated, " _but she's not going to tell you."_

" _Uh,"_ Ash tried to come up with something positively newsworthy, " _tell her that I have many tricks up my sleeve and that my Pokemon and I are going to put on a spectacle that the viewers aren't going to forget."_

" _My Trainer wants to tell everyone that he has tricks up his sleeve and that we're going to put on an unforgettable show."_

A timer on the table suddenly started to beep loudly.

"Well, I guess we're out of time." Sandy sighed. "This has been one unsuccessful interview. All I got is that you come Kanto, have a cool bond with your Pokemon, and have a Starter that we haven't seen yet. Oh, and you have some tricks for us. That's it."

The Trainer was confused. He never said he was from Kanto.

" _I will rock my next battle,"_ Vivi announced.

' _Yes you will,'_ Ash used his Aura again to communicate, then thanked the reporter silently by shaking her hand.

As he began to leave, he recalled his two Pokemon and proceeded to walk out.

"Wait!" Sandy called out. "I have one more question, and this one isn't on the record."

Ash turned around with a smile and tilted his hat downwards again so that his face was only a shadow and that his eyes were the only thing visible.

"Are you Human?"

From inside Ash's messenger bag, Pikachu started laughing. Sandy looked confused, and the Trainer took off his hat to slap the area where his Electric-Type was hiding.

"Yeah, I'm Human," he replied aloud. "How would I be a Trainer if I wasn't?"

" _You're funny,"_ Pikachu commented, muffled by the bag.

"That's my Starter," Ash apologized. "He loves to sleep in my bag. Anyway, this is off the record, right?"

"Yep. I won't reveal anything," the Reporter promised.

"Awesome, because I actually forgot to lock the door to the locker room and this girl came in and saw my full team. I don't think she'll tell anyone, but still, it's pretty embarrassing. Uh, well, I'll be taking off my hat and cape when I battle Lance. You think it's a good idea?"

"Sure. It's up to you, anyway," Sandy replied. "Remember not to get overconfident."

"Thanks, I won't." With that, the Trainer straightened his clothes, put on his hat, and walked out with a wave.

* * *

Back in the locker room, Ash remembered to lock the door before he took off his hat, cape, and shoes. He put the messenger bag on a countertop and let his Pokemon out. Pikachu climbed out of the bag, muttering about how his side hurt and how he couldn't battle with a few cracked ribs.

"You're funny," was Ash's response to the complaints.

Vivi had turned back into an Eevee and was munching on a medicinal berry on the coffee table before realizing that both Charizard and Sceptile were ravenous but too tired to physically walk to the pile of berries. She made herself busy by feeding them the berries herself, enjoying the experience. Gallade had gone out and bought a few more (when the booths realized that it was the Gallade that fought Lorelei, they were pleased to give away what they had for free), so they were fully stocked.

From a couch, Greninja was listening to Garchomp talk of his former days as a Gible.

" _I was actually really immature as a Gible. You remember, right?"_

" _You forget that I was never at Oak's lab."_

" _Oh, true. You know, I feel like we're the only two Pokemon here that can keep a civil discussion. Is it just me, or does it seem that way?"_

" _I can keep a civil discussion,"_ Pikachu argued.

" _Right,"_ the Mach Pokemon agreed sarcastically.

"Pikachu," Ash took up another couch as he rested, "you can't keep a civil discussion."

" _We'll see about that. This is my civil discussion voice."_

" _See?"_ Garchomp tried to make a point. " _You're just not supposed to do that when you talk."_

" _Do what?"_

" _Exactly,"_ Greninja added to the conversation, smirking.

There was knocking on Ash's door. "You have five minutes!" came a muffled voice.

"Thanks, Kathi!" Ash called back and proceeded to make himself sit up on the couch he was on.

"Ready?" he asked his team.

Miscellaneous affirmative calls were heard throughout the room.

* * *

 **So this is where it gets iffy.**

 **(Don't forget to visit my profile for that poll, by the way.)**

 **The thing is, the ending I have now to EOTR is pretty bad, and I need to redo it.**

 **But that comes _after_ writing some more battling, so I'll worry about it when it comes.**

 **Did you like my laziness at writing battles? Sorry. I'm just like that. But hey, I put in a good reason, too!**

 **I really need to watch the latest episode of Pokemon. It was really blurry on Youtube so I just gave up. But it should be on Kissanime now, so...**

 **Alright, I need to stop. Sorry again for both the break and the chapter quality.**

 **Anyway, happy Pokemon anime anniversary.**

 **~Crestilia**


	30. Chapter 30

**First of all, sorry for the break. I blame it on homework. Dead month is coming up, and I need to spend as much time as I can with preparation, so I may take longer to update.**

 **Second, screw the Lorelei chapter. This one was _so long_. And tedious.**

 **Who watched the latest Pokemon episode? It was hilarious. And I like how Ash shows the characteristics of an adept Trainer, even in a lighthearted series like Sun and Moon. In the serious times, though, (like that Litten episode,) it's like his Kalos personality comes right back. He's so good with Pokemon, too, in the Alola Region that it's really cool to see him interact with people and show his experience as a character (and a Trainer). Plus, I love his team.** **It makes me wonder about fanfic ideas...**

 **Anyway, it's time for reviews!**

 **-Commander M: Well, I hope you're at this part. They're Mega Evolved, alright.**

 **-narutoDkurosaki: *Insert sheepish grin here* So I tried a bit harder on the 'writing battles' thing. How did I do? Oh, and yes, I'm more than halfway done. It's weird. I was supposed to be done with this fanfic around this time. This is what happens when you don't update weekly, haha.**

 **-0 Jordino 0: Huh. Well, I got my info off of Bulbapedia (without that blessed site, I would be completely lost), but...eh, oh well. Thanks for that review. Too bad I'm too lazy to change it...**

 **-Yami-chan and Unrealistic: Thanks for reading! To be honest, back when I played FireRed, Bruno's battle was pretty anticlimactic for me, so I guess I put those elements in here. And I love those 'I've traveled with Ash' stories, too, and wish that there were more of them out there. Oh, and don't worry; Lance's battle will be full-fledged and detailed. It's the most important one, right? It's either that or Ash loses to Agatha in this chapter, right? Haha, I'll stop. :P**

 **-Lianne: That is a good question. xD**

 **-bladetri: like like**

 **-ultimateCCC: Haha, good guess. You'll see.**

 **-multyfangirl19: Fairy Tail, huh. I never started watching that. Maybe I should. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

 **-Lectori Salutem: Thanks! It's great to know that people enjoy reading this. Heck, I smile like an idiot when I'm writing my own chapters.**

 **-Lillian Smith: Thank you so much! I've tried to incorporate both serious and lighthearted moments into this. And as for Ash's age...**

 **Okay** _ **.**_

 **A bunch of you have been asking about Ash's age. *smiles deviously***

 **All you have to know is that I've been giving out hints...in _every_ chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Agatha smirked as she saw Ash walk onto the battlefield. There was a naive aura to the challenger, as if he or she had little experience in battling. She could see their foot tapping rhythmically on the other side of the field, as if they weren't accustomed to standing still.

"I've been studying your battle strategy," she cackled. "All Trainers have one, and I can see right through yours. Will you be able to get past my ghosts? That's up to you and your Pokemon."

A Haunter was called out, who stared at the caped Trainer as Ash immediately sent out Charizard in response.

"The match between Agatha of the Elite Four and the challenger shall now commence!"

Huh. It seemed that they fixed the intercom. It had been destroyed in the earlier battles, but the Elite Four Member was a bit surprised that it was repaired so quickly. Kantonians were incompetent at things like technology.

"Sludge Bomb," the Ghost-Type Trainer commanded, keeping her voice calm and her face stoic.

Haunter surged forward, sending balls of solidified, toxic waste at his opponent. In response, the Flame Pokemon flew up to dodge, but although he tried to keep a strong front, even the spectators in the hot air balloons around the stadium could see that the Fire and Flying-Type was exhausted. Sludge Bomb clipped his tail, sending a mild, ineffective poison up his veins.

Of course, a strong opponent didn't even need to flinch at the strength of Haunter's poison.

The Gas Pokemon chastised himself for underestimating his opponent. He would need to use something more potent…

* * *

" _Quick! Roost, Charizard!"_

The Flame Pokemon spread out his wings in a glide. A green glow surrounded him, lighting up the arena and healing the Fire and Flying-Type significantly. He was still tired but knew that his Trainer was relying on him to at least take out another Pokemon.

He almost didn't hear Ash's mental shouts of warning.

" _Below you! Dodge again!"_

Sludge Bomb met its mark, and pellets of…something (Charizard realized that thinking about it would be detrimental to his sanity) exploded against his stomach.

From the other side of the field, Agatha smirked. "Will-O-Wisp," she instructed.

Charizard was confused. Wasn't he immune to burns? The move wouldn't have an effect on him.

He could hear Ash's labored breathing behind him. The Trainer had been pushing himself to his physical limits the week before, and the lack of sleep was starting to catch up to him. Charizard knew that the teen couldn't keep up the Aura for long, either. After all, the Trainer was just a novice in that kind of stuff.

Lost in his own thoughts, Charizard didn't dodge. A purple, ghostly flame swept into the Fire-Type's side, passing right through.

Wait, so what was the point of Will-O-Wisp?

Sludge Bomb flew across the field and exploded against the Fire and Flying-Type's chest, scoring a direct hit and poisoning the Pokemon.

* * *

" _Charizard, I need you to finish this quickly,"_ Ash insisted. " _Agatha knows that you fought against Bruno."_

The Trainer started to notice that the flickering flames of Will-O-Wisps were starting to disperse throughout the field in an entrancing light, causing the Fire and Flying-Type to waver a bit in his movements. If Haunter were to sneak behind a wisp and use a move…

" _Charizard, Dragon Dance! And keep it going!"_

Agatha narrowed her eyes. "Shadow Ball."

Haunter charged up a sphere of dark energy before breaking it up and launching the smaller cores at his opponent.

" _Shadow Claw,"_ Ash instructed.

Charizard turned to the side and let his wings glide him between bits of energy, ending his vortex of Dragon Dance.

" _Keep hitting him until he's through!"_

* * *

Agatha sighed. "You know what to do," she said, addressing her loyal Pokemon. "Sludge Bomb."

* * *

As the sea of smoke, more smoke, and Will-O-Wisps finally cleared, Ash found himself staring at his Fire and Flying-Type, who laid unconscious on the ground. Next to him, Haunter shared the same fate.

He didn't need Aura Sight to tell him what happened.

Destiny Bond.

But if Haunter knew the move (which should've been illegal, in Ash's opinion, along with moves like Fissure and Perish Song), didn't that mean that all six members of the Elite Four Member's team could easily knock him out before Lance?

Pushing his doubts to the side, he recalled his fallen Pokemon and watched as Agatha sent out her Banette. In response, the Trainer sent out his energized Garchomp.

"Will-O-Wisp."

Flames shot toward the Mach Pokemon at a bullet-like speed, engulfing the Dragon and Ground-Type in flames before he could react.

Dang. Banette was fast.

" _Stealth Rock, Garchomp,"_ Ash instructed.

Pointed stones were cast around Agatha's side of the battle, disappearing in mid-air as they scattered throughout the battlefield. Ash made a mental note to himself that Agatha might use a move to clear the area in the future, but for the moment, he was content with the setup.

If Stealth Rock was able to chip at Agatha's defenses, and if Ash could still keep his team together through this battle, there might be a chance he could defeat Lance. A slight one, but it was there nonetheless.

As he looked closer, the Trainer realized that the burn Garchomp had was _bad_. Bad enough that Garchomp seemed to be irritated as he moved. The Ground and Dragon-Type had also started to display signs of an unconventional paralysis, hindering him from moving any—ah! An opportunity!

" _Earthquake!"_ Ash instructed.

Banette simply jumped, avoiding the first of the tremors. As she landed, the Marionette Pokemon tripped but managed to keep her balance, even in the midst of the trembling ground.

"Shadow Claw," Agatha spoke up.

" _Swords Dance!"_

The teen narrowed his eyes. Blue figures of light floated around Garchomp, taking the appearances of miniature swords. The Ground and Dragon-Type began to glow red before the move faded.

Agatha gazed at the sight with an all-knowing smirk. "Your strategy is flawed," she remarked, chuckling to herself. "Like every other Trainer that has ever had the opportunity to face me, you're just too predictable."

" _Shadow Claw, Garchomp!"_ Ash instructed. As the dragon surged forward with renewed energy, Agatha's Banette also used Shadow Claw to block the attack, enveloping the field in layers of smoke. An explosion rang out through the stadium.

The old woman's grin seemed to be almost devious. "It's amazing that you've gotten so far," she said. "I hope you realize that your priorities need some straightening."

When the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were laying on the ground, passed out.

 _Destiny Bond._

* * *

"Arbok, show this Trainer what we have to offer," Agatha cooed, sending out her hissing serpent onto the field. On the other side, the challenger opened up his own pokeball, and a certain Psychic and Fighting-Type appeared, bowing graciously to the audience for the sudden uproar in applause and shouting.

" _You're popular, aren't you?"_ Ash asked the Blade Pokemon, who had busied himself with posing and waving at the crowd.

" _My fanbase is growing."_

" _I can see that."_

From the other side of the field, Arbok stared at his opponent, surveying the Psychic and Fighting-Type for weaknesses with a calm expression on his face. With a slight smirk, the Cobra Pokemon stuck out his tongue tauntingly, even Stealth Rock activated, pounding at the Poison-Type.

Even as the move hit, Arbok seemed unaffected.

" _Gallade, don't fall for Agatha's tricks,"_ Ash warned. " _It's not worth your time to get angry at a time like this."_

" _My Trainer, please heed your own words,"_ the Blade Pokemon quipped in reply.

"Coil, then Gunk Shot, sweetheart," Agatha called out. Immediately, the Cobra Pokemon slithered into a circle until his face was behind his own body. A reddish glow surrounded the Poison-Type, and as Arbok's head emerged from behind a self-made wall of toxic energy. As the move faded, Gunk Shot flung itself from the cobra's mouth.

" _Gallade, use Protect! Then Psychic!"_

" _Yes sir,"_ came the reply as the Blade Pokemon crossed his arms in front of his face. A glowing shield materialized, blocking most of the attack as the rest of the move's energy crashed into the wall behind him. The Psychic and Fighting-Type lunged forward, sending a wave of psionic energy forward, and the Cobra was lifted into the air despite his efforts to dodge.

"Use Coil to break free from Psychic, then use Gunk Shot, again."

The Trainer decided that he should stop the Poison-Type before the cobra could raise his Defense even further.

" _Ready?"_ Ash asked his Pokemon. " _Transform!"_

" _Do you—"_

" _That's up to you,"_ the Trainer interrupted. He gazed at the battlefield intensively, eyes focused on his opponent. " _If you don't want to, I understand."_

The Psychic and Fighting-Type chuckled as he dodged an attack. " _Sir, I was just talking about the incoming Poison-Type attacks,"_ he remarked. " _Do you want me to block it?"_

" _Let Transform do that for you."_

* * *

A bright flash of white light lit up the field, Clemont was blinded by the strange glow. It wasn't Mega Evolution for sure, and the Gym Leader was pretty sure that Gallade was fully evolved.

As he turned back to the battlefield, he joined much of the audience in letting his jaw drop.

A confident-looking Gardevoir had used Psychic, crushing his opponent in the air and slamming him against the stadium walls.

* * *

Ash let his mouth form a slight smirk. " _Wish,"_ he instructed mentally.

" _I wish for good health!"_ the Embrace Pokemon called out, making the Trainer's smile widen. It almost seemed as if his Psychic and Fairy-Type was singing (and he had a good voice, although Ash would never admit it aloud).

" _I can sense your thoughts, Ash. You're impressed, aren't you?"_

The Trainer vaguely remembered hearing stories of heroic Gardevoir while he had traveled in Hoenn. It seemed as if they had some truth to it, after all.

* * *

"Earthquake," Agatha instructed. She hadn't expected that her opponent's strategy would change so much. The effort she had put into Coil was now rendered mostly useless, especially since Protect could easily block any attempt to get close. The other Pokemon has also used Teleport earlier, so the Elite Four Member began to focus her efforts on wearing it down.

Arbok didn't know Destiny Bond, anyway.

Agatha never considered herself a strategist, but even a seasoned veteran like her needed to think in battles like the one she was in. Arbok was clearly more experienced, but the Trainer on the other side of the field knew his Pokemon well. It was times like these that a Pokemon-Trainer bond was shown to be more important than any amount of experience.

* * *

" _Jump! Then use Protect!"_

As the battlefield shook, Ash had to focus on stabilizing himself from the shaking. On the other hand, Gardevoir twirled gracefully into the air, letting his gown spread out beneath him before landing on a platform of Protect beneath him, posing as if he was on stage.

" _You look like you're having fun,"_ Ash remarked.

" _I'm gorgeous. It's a great feeling,"_ the Psychic and Fairy-Type responded, letting his Protect fade as he landed gracefully on the Earthquake-devastated ground. As he used Psychic again, spinning Arbok in circles around him, the Poison-Type finally fainted and landed on the field with a thud.

" _You could've used Attract,"_ Ash joked, smiling as the Embrace Pokemon curtsied at the audience. " _Do you actually know that move?"_

" _I should learn it,"_ Gardevoir replied, transforming back into Gallade with a flash of light. _"It may be fun. And I wonder what gender I'll be able to infatuate in that form."_ The Blade Pokemon saluted at Agatha with a shout.

" _That's…a good question."_

"What a surprise," Agatha remarked, smiling genuinely. "You used that Gallade earlier with Lorelei and made my assumptions premature."

Gallade bowed. " _My Trainer thanks you."_

"And I thank _you_ for the great battle," the Elite Four Member replied, letting a small laugh echo through the cheering stadium. "Crobat!" she shouted, sending out a frowning Bat Pokemon.

* * *

"Hey," May whispered.

" _Hey,"_ Ash replied.

"You busy right now?"

" _Nah. Gallade should handle this one perfectly well."_

The Blade Pokemon debated his choices, finally settling on making a Protect shield as Golbat used Defog, flapping his wings as streaks of white accompanied the wind in destroying the terrain and blowing to Gallade's side of the field. Stealth Rock crumbled to the ground, breaking apart into dust particles that scattered in the wind.

May let her gaze wander to the field where Crobat was trying to hit his opponent with Hypnosis. Gallade sidestepped, putting all his weight on one leg as he feinted a sweeping kick and instead used Psychic to slam the Poison and Flying-Type onto the ground.

"How did you get him?" the Coordinator asked, interested.

" _A Team Rocket encounter. But Gallade has been a great addition to the team. He's strong…and humorous, too."_

May smiled, petting her Glaceon. "And I don't suppose you brought plenty more surprises for us? The Aura trick seems recent, for one.."

" _Yeah, I guess I got it in the Viridian Forest a month or two ago,"_ Ash explained. " _It's probably why I seem to enjoy Hail and Sandstorm. You know, that Aura Sight thing. By the way, how's Max?"_

The Coordinator shrugged, then realized that Ash probably couldn't see her in the first place (he had to keep his eyes on the battlefield). With a sigh to let out her embarrassment, she replied, "He's doing fine. In fact, I think he's a few rows above me right now, talking to some blonde-hair girl."

"Roost!" Agatha yelled, and May could see the raven-haired Trainer nod slightly to his Pokemon. Gallade transformed into Gardevoir with a flash of light and used Wish again.

" _This is going to go on for a long time if we don't end this quickly,"_ Ash remarked, annoyed. " _I don't think I'm allowed to get lunch or anything, either, if it's not outside the stadium."_

May watched as Gardevoir's Psychic collided with Air Slash, enveloping the battlefield in a cloud of smoke. Even from a distance, the Coordinator could hear the sounds of an unseen clash between the two Pokemon. "Do you think Brock has figured it out?" she asked, changing the subject.

" _Huh?"_

"Your identity," May replied. You know, with Sceptile and all. It's pretty obvious if you think about it."

" _Nah. If he did, he would have a weird look on his face because I don't think he expects me to have improved this much over the course of two years without him."_

May stifled a laugh. "True. Even _I'm_ surprised. You know, Brock has been working at the Pewter Gym more often ever since Forrest got depressed from being crushed in a battle by some girl. I think the kid's gonna follow her. It's funny, right? The same thing happened to Brock…kinda."

" _Creepy."_

"I know, right?"

* * *

Ash returned a fainted Gallade to the ball, knowing that the Pokemon needed rest after the rough fight (that Hypnosis was a pain). Golbat was also out of commission, and the Trainer watched as Agatha returned it and sent out her Gengar, who stuck out his tongue at the sight of his opponent.

As he saw the Mega Stone band around the Poison and Ghost-Type's left arm, the teen smiled to himself, accepting the challenge.

" _Sceptile, let's do this,"_ he said, silently addressing his Grass-Type as the Forest Pokemon appeared in a flash of light. On the other side of the field, the Shadow Pokemon's eyes lit up, excited for the upcoming match.

" _Alright. Let's see...Gengar will know a Fire-Type attack to counter me—maybe Will-O-Wisp, if nothing else—a Ghost, or Dark move, and probably something with poison. And Destiny Bond,"_ the Grass-Type reasoned. " _I mean, Agatha took out like three other Pokemon with it, why not this time?"_

" _Two,"_ was Ash's only response.

" _What?"_

" _Only two of you have been taken out with Destiny Bond."_

" _Hmmm,"_ the Forest Pokemon look like he was contemplating the situation as he continued his stare-down with Gengar. " _Still. You haven't managed to beat it. Arbok and Crobat don't learn Destiny Bond, if I remember correctly."_

" _True…"_

* * *

"Gengar, let's show them our strength! Mega Evolve!" Agatha cackled, raising up the keystone on her staff.

" _Sceptile, Mega Evolve!"_ Ash instructed.

Twin flashes of light blinded everyone in the vicinity.

* * *

"Sludge Wave, Gengar!"

Ash could feel the pressure of the Poison and Ghost-Type's third eye on him as Sceptile barely dodged the attack, leaping over it with a sense of renewed energy, twisting as his opponent fired another Sludge Wave at the area the Grass-Type once was.

" _I'm so glad I learned parabolic functions before coming here,"_ Sceptile mused cheerfully, landing on the ground with a soft thud. _"Negative sixteen times t-squared plus_ _—"_

" _Leaf Storm! Obscure his vision!"_ Ash instructed. " _Keep it up!"_

As Sceptile swung his tail around, he formed a counter shield from the leaves, encircling them around himself and making a figure-eight around both him and his opponent. He stood just to the right of the Leaf Storm wall, catching his breath.

" _Mega Gengar's third eye sees into another dimension,"_ he remarked. " _Maybe I should've mentioned that earlier, huh."_

" _Does that mean that you exist in that dimension, but not the Leaf Storm?"_ Ash asked.

The Grass and Dragon-Type looked around, taking his twig out of his mouth and crossing his arms. " _I mean, if we take into account the possibility that th—"_

"Will-O-Wisp!" Agatha called out.

" _Sceptile! Watch ou_ _—_ _"_

Gengar shifted into visibility, sending out tiny flames from his hands that burned both the Leaf Storm and Sceptile himself.

" _Note to self: don't get distracted during battles,"_ the Forest Pokemon muttered.

" _Night Slash, Sceptile!"_

* * *

Gary winced.

"What is it?" Clemont asked, turning to face the other Gym Leader.

"Oh, nothing. Sorry."

The field was a fury of blurs too fast for the human eye to follow. Green and purple shifted in and out of focus, and the Kalosian could just barely make out the moves that each Pokemon used. Debris flew everywhere, and the dust clouds that formed made it seem like Sandstorm was in effect.

* * *

" _By the way, you can't recall me,"_ Sceptile muttered as he dodged another Shadow Ball-Fire Blast combination aimed at his direction and retaliated with a Night Slash, just barely grazing the Poison and Ghost-Type, who had faded into the Forest Pokemon's shadow.

" _Huh?"_ Ash asked with a distracted tone.

" _His Ability keeps me in battle. Don't try to recall me or you'll look stupid, but just keep in mind that I can't escape the battle without winning."_

" _That's nice,"_ the Trainer replied, trying to come up with a strategy. If Sceptile could fly, he could force Gengar out of his shadow. But the teen knew that his Grass and Dragon-Type was too predictable (and shaky) with his steering, and it would be a risk to both the Pokemon and the audience.

" _Predict his moves by feeling the temperature around you,"_ Ash suggested. " _Even though you can't see him, the cold should give him away."_

The crowd fell to a hush as an explosion commenced from another direct hit to the Forest Pokemon, but when the cloud of smoke cleared, Ash could see relieved looks from many watchers in the audience. The Trainer was visibly sweating and could feel his shirt soaking up from the overwhelming stress it took to battle for so long.

It was a miracle that he hadn't passed out (or something like that) by now.

Mega Gengar snickered as a Sludge Wave rippled across the battlefield, covering the entire field. Mega Sceptile jumped in midair, sending a blast of Leaf Storm to the ground to gain some momentum.

The spray of poison would've hit Ash himself if he was an inch to the left.

Wait, what if the _Trainer_ got poisoned? Could he call a foul and disqualify the Gengar?

Meh. Maybe he'd try it with Paul or something in the future, just to get on his nerves.

" _Ash,"_ Sceptile started to report, " _she's waiting for us to use a finishing move. Then they'll use Destiny Bond."_

" _Use Night Slash and keep it up. And tell me when he uses the move,"_ the Pallet Town Trainer instructed. " _I'll pay attention to Agatha."_

* * *

"You know what to do!" the Elite Four Member called out.

" _It's up!"_ Sceptile yelled. The Grass and Dragon-Type was in midair, arms poised in a position that was guaranteed to hit. Gengar dashed forward with a grin, as if he was waiting for his opponent to deliver the blow.

Ash couldn't help but smirk.

" _Now!"_

* * *

Just before Mega Sceptile's attack could come in contact with the Poison and Ghost-Type, the Forest Pokemon's form faded out of view, appearing behind his opponent. The Grass and Dragon-Type crouched down, speeding away and leaving the Shadow Pokemon to look around wearily.

And _then_ Night Slash hit.

* * *

As the smoke cleared, Mega Gengar had reverted back to his original form.

And Mega Sceptile's Substitute wore off, dissipating into thin air.

* * *

" _That was pretty close,"_ Ash used Aura to convey his mixed feelings. " _If you were a second earlier, Destiny Bond might've worked on you."_

" _Since Gengar is a fast Pokemon, Destiny Bond wears off faster,"_ came the reply. " _I won, and that's what coun "_

The Forest Pokemon was cut off in mid-sentence by the arrival of Agatha's last Pokemon…

Darkrai..

"Cresselia's _never_ used for battling," the Ash grumbled quietly to himself. "Why does _everyone_ have a Darkrai?"

" _Because they look cool,"_ Gary replied silently from the stands. " _Now, stop speaking aloud or they're gonna get some Porygon to cross reference your voice with all the Trainers in their database."_

* * *

" _Sceptile, dodge!"_ Ash instructed as an Ice Beam approached the Grass and Dragon-Type, narrowly missing as the gecko-like Pokemon twisted himself to the side, spinning himself in the air and landing in front of his Trainer.

" _It's okay,"_ the Forest Pokemon replied, " _I've fought a Darkrai before."_

" _And won,"_ Ash replied, recounting events in Sinnoh. " _Should we use the same strategy?"_

" _If he uses Dark Void, just wake me up, please. Other than that, we should wait and see."_

" _Alright."_

* * *

"Nasty Plot, Darkrai."

" _Leaf Storm!"_ Ash promptly called out before a thought popped up in his mind. " _By the way, did Tobias challenge Cynthia yet?"_

The Grass and Dragon-Type conjured a hurricane of leaves, aiming them at the mythical Pokemon before the Pitch-Black Pokemon could finish his move.

" _Hmmm, I don't know, although Cynthia isn't the type of person to back down from such a challenge. Do you think he might've won?"_

" _This is what I get for living in the wild for a few months."_

" _I can hear you, you know,"_ Darkrai remarked as he fired another Ice Beam. " _Who are you talking to? I heard that Pokemon of your Trainer liked to talk to themselves, but it seems a bit suspicious to me."_

" _Uh…"_ Mega-Sceptile tried to come up with an excuse.

" _See,_ _I'm_ _not the crazy one,"_ the Trainer joked as his Sceptile ducked under another Ice Beam. " _My Pokemon talk to themselves too."_

" _Key word:_ _too_ _."_

Ash chuckled aloud. " _I walked right into that one, didn't I…"_

" _Yep."_

" _I'm waiting for my answer,"_ Darkrai spoke up, annoyed. " _Do I have to use Dark Void to get it?"_

" _The voices in my head say 'yes,'"_ the Forest Pokemon replied with a smirk.

* * *

" _Let Darkrai knock you down,"_ Ash suggested. " _They'll only use Dark Void if they're sure it hits."_

" _Awesome."_

* * *

"Arceus," Gary Oak muttered.

"Hmmm?" Clemont asked.

"Oh, I was just remembering the Sinnoh League a few years back. That Sceptile was able to beat Darkrai in the Semifinals."

" _That_ Sceptile?" the Lumiose City Gym Leader questioned, suspicious.

The Pokemon Researcher shook his head frantically. "No," he replied, trying to cover up his mishap. "I was researching in Sinnoh a few years ago, and the Pokemon League Tournament was going on. I watched, of course—why wouldn't I?-and in the semifinals, there was a Sceptile beat a Darkrai. It was amazing."

"Amazing," the Electric-Type Trainer marveled. "Was it Mega-Evolved?"

"Nope!"

"Wow!" the Lumiose Gym Leader exclaimed. "I mean, I've seen my share of extravagant things, but that's pretty cool, in my opinion."

* * *

Clemont made a mental note to search up the Sinnoh League semifinals after the battle.

* * *

" _I'm feeling sleepy, Ash."_

" _Good, now just listen for my voice when you become incapacitated."_

" _That doesn't sound very comforting, you know…"_

* * *

Mega Sceptile woke up in the middle of a void. It was probably because the move was named Dark _Void_ , but that bit of trivia didn't really help the situation.

" _Sceptile! Get up! Darkrai's going to use Dream Eater!"_

The Forest Pokemon looked around, seeing no visible exit. This Darkrai was more powerful than the one he faced years ago.

But it was okay.

 _He_ had become stronger as well.

" _Sceptile! Use Leaf Storm! Please!"_

The Grass and Dragon-Type tried to force himself to conjure up the move, hoping that it didn't count as Sleep Talk. Could his species even _learn_ Sleep Talk?

Pain exploded in the Forest Pokemon's gut. Darkrai's Bad Dreams were taking effect, and so was Dream Eater.

" _Wake up! I'm counting on you!"_

Ash's voice seemed so far away. Maybe Trainer would leave him alone if—

The Grass and Dragon-Type immediately chastised himself for his own stupidity. There was no reason to abandon his Trainer, especially since said teen never once abandoned _him_.

" _I'm coming, Ash! Just wait a second…"_

* * *

"Sceptile is getting up!" the announcer exclaimed.

Most of the monitors and live streams in the stadium had been destroyed, so the Kanto news stations had to bring in cameramen to film the intense battle.

From the couch, Delia sighed, resting a hand on the armrest. " _Of course_ Sceptile's getting up. Your Elite Four isn't totally invulnerable, Kanto. And they say that monotype Trainers are more successful…hmph, just look at my son! _He's_ accomplished."

"Mime-mime mime mime," Mimey sang as he swept the area.

"My little Ash has gone off again," the mother pondered aloud. "I hope he comes back with another trophy. Then I can brag to the other moms! Just think about it. _My_ son…as a world-famous Trainer! Isn't that awesome, Mimey?"

"Mime mime!" the Barrier Pokemon agreed.

* * *

Gilbert was the son of Pallet Town's mayor. He'd planned to challenge the Viridian City Gym but was disappointed when it was closed. The city itself was mostly deserted as well.

His friend Raimund had informed him that there was an Elite Four Challenge in Kanto—the first in a long time, it seemed—but the Pallet Town-native had declined the offer to go watch with him, instead proceeding to stay at the Pokemon Center, where he found people crowding around various monitors set up around the building.

On screen, a certain twig-bearing, Grass-Type Starter dashed around the field, dodging Ice Beams and Dark Voids. As the Forest Pokemon got close, he slammed a Leaf Blade into his opponent, using the momentum to dash away. The people in the Center erupted into cheers.

"That's one strong Sceptile, isn't it?" the Gilbert asked his Ivysaur.

"Saur!"

"One day, we'll become as strong as that. Wanna do it together?"

"Saur! Ivy-saur!" was the excited response.

Nurse Joy appeared behind them, smiling pensively. "It's hard to think that the Trainers we've seen on-screen have stopped at my Pokemon Center before, begging me to heal a Pikachu or two from angry flocks of Spearow," she remarked.

"Really?" Gilbert asked.

"No," the Joy replied, chuckling lightly. "That only happened once, many years ago."

"Wow. How's the Trainer doing?"

"I heard he traveled to Hoenn after competing in the Silver Conference. Never heard from him since."

The Pokemon Nurse's smile only seemed to widen as she reminisced about her younger days managing the Center. "By the way, would you like some cookies?" she asked. "Chansey and I baked some this morning."

Gilbert's eyes lit up. "Yes, please!"

* * *

" _Wait there and catch your breath,"_ Ash instructed. " _Do you have enough strength for a Substitute?"_

" _I estimate that I have approximately five percent health left, and that is equivalent to about fourteen hit poin—"_

" _Is that a yes or a no?"_ the Trainer asked.

" _No."_

" _I see."_

The Grass and Dragon-Type smiled, although it was apparent that he was fatigued. Even Ash felt tired, and he wasn't even engaged in the fighting. The Forest Pokemon's breathing was labored, and his stance—although it looked strong, perspiration covered his body, and his arms had started to tremble from muscle strain.

" _You know, Ash,"_ Sceptile spoke up, " _there's something I like about being your Pokemon."_

" _Huh?"_

" _You have the Kantonian fighting spirit, yet your battling style holds strategy and finesse. People may see it as unorthodox—'cause it's hard to develop such a style—but you're able to cultivate it to the point that we refuse to give up, even if we are losing. Sometimes, Sheer strength and legendary status become trivial when met up with strategy, willpower, and an unbreakable bond between Trainer and Pokemon."_

"Sceptile?" Ash whispered aloud.

With the last of his energy, the Grass and Dragon-Type surged forward, unwavering in spirit.

* * *

"Darkrai is unable to battle! The battle goes to the challenger!"

Sceptile huffed as he tried to stand confidently. Fortunately, Ash had come out onto the field to support his body weight as the Trainer let his Pokemon savor in the moment. The Forest Pokemon had reverted to his original form and was fighting to keep his eyes open as the audience stood up and cheered.

Second Darkrai. Wow. It was impressive.

"Don't faint on me," the teen joked, whispering aloud. "I don't want your weight to make me fall. That'd be messy."

" _You've dragged…a Mewtwo…across a mountain,"_ the Grass-Type jested, breathing heavily. " _That's like, 300 pounds of—"_

"Shut up. He was heavy, and I was—"

" _You were ten."_

"I'm _still—_ "

" _Aha! I knew it!"_ Pikachu suddenly exclaimed, peeking his head out from beneath the cape. " _It's been years since I first wondered how old my Trainer wa—"_

" _—_ not convinced that you know what you're talking about, half the time," Ash finished his sentence. "Plus, you guys make me look bad."

* * *

Ash hadn't noticed that Pikachu had been in his messenger bag. How did he manage to sleep through all those explosions?

* * *

In the locker room, the Trainer realized that the nicknamed 'Ash-Greninja' required the 'Ash' to be in perfect sync with the 'Greninja.'

"Greninja, you're up. Ready?" he asked the Ninja Pokemon.

" _Of course,"_ the Water and Dark-Type replied, putting an arm around his Trainer's shoulder. " _Thank you for this opportunity, Ash."_

"No problem! I told you we were going to climb to the top together, right?"

* * *

"Hmm…"

Max was trying to recall a memory as Bonnie waited for him to say something.

"What's keeping you?" she asked.

"I'm thinking."

The young girl crossed her arms. "I _know_ you're thinking."

The Hoenn-native shrugged. "I've seen something similar to that strategy before. It was against a Sceptile and a Darkrai in the Sinnoh League a few years ago. I watched it on TV."

"Wow. Do you think they might be the same Pokemon?"

"Nah. That Sceptile always had a twig in its mouth," Max explained. "It's too far to see from here, but I don't think there could be one. Plus, that Sceptile doesn't battle in the same way. It's just that the strategy was pretty similar. This Trainer's moves are too…refined. Not impulsive, like I remember."

"Bonnie rolled her eyes. "People from Kalos get told that they battle like Coordinators. Maybe the guy has been there."

"Maybe," Max added to the conversation. "But the newsperson, Sandy Spinner, said that he was from Kanto. What would a person from Kanto want with Kalos, which is literally across the globe?"

Bonnie was about to bring up Ash but realized that Max probably didn't know him. "I knew someone that came to Kalos from Kanto," she brought up. "He went back after completing in the Kalos League, but we're hoping to see him again, soon. He was a great guy."

"I knew someone that came to Kalos from Kanto," she brought up. "He went back after completing in the Kalos League, but we're hoping to see him again, soon. He was a great guy."

"Still…"

Bonnie kept her eyes on the ruined battlefield. Both Trainers had already left, but most of the audience had stayed for the fear of losing their seats to other people. The girl kept playing the battle in her head, over and over again, trying to recall every move used.

Ash always fought his battles in a weird way. He was aggressive, yet technical. The way he executed his strategies felt a bit wild and unpredictable (and they almost always worked, too), but it felt like Kalos had brought him another facet of his ever-growing battling style: sophistication.

Bruno and Agatha fought with strength, power, and spirit, like a person from _Kanto_. Lorelei used a bit of strategy, but it was apparent that the woman still relied on intense physical training.

The challenger was clearly well-oriented with many strategies. He (Bonnie presumed he was a guy) didn't fight like he was from any of the regions, but spent an equal time in many of them, learning more and more about Pokemon through them. His Pokemon were from different regions, too. The Glaceon was clearly young (its strategy didn't seem to be set in stone), and the Gallade was clearly from a region where it developed flashy moves that engaged the audience, as if the battle was a choreographed dance. Charizard fought with brute strength, and Sceptile was clearly a logical battler, incorporating both strength and strategy. The challenger's Garchomp didn't battle much, so the Kalosian couldn't really know more than the fact that he was strong.

Bonnie realized that the next battle was only in five minutes. When did she start thinking so much about strategies and reading other Pokemon? It must've come from taking care of them so much.

Anyway, she was feeling excited.

* * *

"Strategy time."

Ash rubbed his hands together as the remainder of the able-to-fight Pokemon gathered around their Trainer—Pikachu, Greninja, Vivi and Garchomp (who was a little tired but still insisted on knocking out another opponent).

"Pikachu, you're against Dragonite," Ash spoke up, addressing his team. "I know, you want the Mega, but Dragonite is more than enough, and you already got Slowbro. Garchomp, you're going first, and afterward, I'm going to reveal myself with Greninja. Pikachu can take Dragonite whenever he appears, and Vivi will be our backup. Questions?"

" _Just one."_ Greninja raised a finger. " _Can we do a bonding exercise before we go?"_

Ash knew what the Ninja Pokemon was thinking. Their entire plan would fail if Greninja wasn't able to activate his power. Plus, the team's remaining morale would be crushed if that would happen.

"Sure," the teen replied. "Ready, team?"

" _Always,"_ Garchomp replied, smiling genuinely.

* * *

"Here is…Champion and Elite Four Member Lance on the red side, and our unknown challenger on the green side! Will Lance defend his title? Or will we have a new Champion?"

"Yes," Gary replied aloud.

"Which question are you answering?" Clemont asked.

"Does it matter?"

The Lumiose Gym Leader was in the middle of rewatching a recorded battle between Sceptile and Darkrai on his Holo Caster. Ash had woken the Forest Pokemon up with shouting and encouragement.

Clemont noticed that Sceptile's battling style was significantly different than the way Greninja or Noivern fought. With a Leaf Blade, Darkrai was out cold, and the Electric-Type Trainer began to think about the previous battle. There were almost too similar…

* * *

 **Whew. That was long.**

 **By the way, there's still a poll. (I don't blame you guys for not choosing Pidgeot; she left the team halfway through.) And I'm still looking for cover art (although it doesn't really matter at this point).**

 **Yeah. Tests are coming up, so please don't hate if I don't update for a week or two.**

 **I'll see you next time with Lance!**

 **~Cress**


	31. Chapter 31

**Sorry for the long break. Again, I had a bit of testing to go through. It's been a while, hasn't it? Most of you might've forgotten about this fanfiction already.**

 **If so, just read it all over again. I've already provided a super-vague summary.**

 **Anyway, I'm glad to say that Lance's chapter is finally here.**

 _ **Comments time!**_

 **-Yami-chan and the Unrealistic: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that Delia is back, too. She's been...doing her own thing for the past twenty-something chapters. Anyway, I hope you (and Pikachu) enjoy this chapter!**

 **-ultimateCCC: You'll have to decide that for yourself!**

 **-multyfangirl19: For the answer to your question on Ash's mom...I didn't really plan for Delia to know in the first place, but since I wrote it like that, I can see that it's probably for the best that I keep it that way. Actually, I didn't realize that it could be implied in that way until you all in the comments called me out for it. So...I'm just going to pretend that that was my intent in the first place and roll with it, haha. Oh, and for your other question...you'll see.**

 **-Noxlux013: Thanks for your compliments. I'm glad you enjoyed it. After Lance...yes, I do have some plans. It's going to be epic.**

 **-Lianne: Well, I'm back! Ash's friends get less clueless over the years, but it's still fun to watch them. And as for his age...good guess.**

 **-bladetri: I love it when you comment.**

 **-Lectori Salutem: I agree. Destiny Bond is terrible. I also like how Sceptile calls Ash out for it. And thank you for your thoughts. I think I passed all my tests; thank you. But now, the next chapter is here, so enjoy!**

 **-Johnny Spectre: Not really. Ok, there's a big hint here: Ash is _not_ ten. Pikachu just interrupted him in the middle of his sentence.**

 **-Lillian Smith: You're not wrong. [Insert devious smile]**

 **-AyumiUK: I never got back to editing my other chapters. Maybe it's 'cause I'm lazy, but I preferred to do this. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Have you guys seen the last Sun and Moon episode? Gladion reminds me of Alain-but cooler.**

 **Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

" _Take us to your leader, Pidgey,"_ Infernape spoke up. Beside the Fire-Type, Torterra nudged his friend, pushing him forward. Daro the Tauros huffed in annoyance, and Noivern tried to look politely optimistic. Hawlucha stood in near the entrance of the cave, crossing his arms and gazing sternly at the cave's inhabitants.

When there was no response, Daro stepped forward. " _We'll fight if we have to!"_ he called out.

" _Daro! We're outnumbered! We can't face them in this state!"_ Torterra reprimanded his friend softly.

" _They look like Route 1 Pidgeys._ _Of course_ , _we can—"_

" _How did you know we were from Route 1?"_ a hatchling interrupted, hopping forward to meet the newcomers.

" _Well, uh…"_

" _How did you get here?"_ Infernape asked. " _Weren't you guys in the for—"_

A shrill call echoed throughout the room. " _THAT'S SEXIST!"_

The Fire and Fighting-Type's eyes widened as a giant Pidgeot dropped down to meet them.

* * *

On the other side of the field, Lance sent out an angry-looking Aerodactyl.

" _Garchomp, I'll be okay if you just take out one for me,"_ Ash sent out the Mach Pokemon, trying to sound confident. In reality, the Trainer's legs were shaking from being so _tired_. It was hard to concentrate with the crowd being so loud, and keeping up both Aura and a strong stance was just plain…hard. The media was judging his every move, and his nose was itchy. It took every bit of adherence he had to avoid scratching it.

"Aerodactyl's not even a Dragon-Type," the teen muttered aloud. He should've taken a nap earlier, but Pikachu had been so insistent on keeping him awake because they all knew that once the Trainer was out, he wouldn't wake up for another twelve hours without wasting his Starter's electricity.

"Hello, challenger!" Lance shouted from the other side of the field.

Ash tried not to look like he was ready to drop.

"I am Lance, your final opponent! Whether you win or not, it is a great accomplishment to be here. My Dragon Pokemon are ready for you. As we battle here today, let us grow respect for one another. Are you ready, 'spawn of fire?'"

" _I think-"_ Garchomp changed stances immediately.

" _Did he find me out?_ " Ash asked. " _I mean, I don't remember if he's seen Charizard before, but I hav—"_

" _Maybe he's just calling you that because your eyes are red,"_ the Ground and Dragon-Type suggested.

" _Hope so."_

* * *

" _I'm Pidgeot,"_ the Normal and Flying-Type introduced herself, gesturing loudly with wing movements. " _Sorry about that. I tend to be a little rash. At least, according to my flock, I am. My team is a different story."_

The Fire and Fighting-Type shuffled to the side nervously, smiling gingerly and extending a hand. " _I'm Infernape,"_ he replied, " _and this is Torterra, Daro, Hawlucha, and Noivern."_

Pidgeot clasped her wings within the newcomer's palm, shaking it as a gesture of friendship. " _What brings you here?"_ she asked.

" _Our Trainer sent us up here to investigate Team Rocket sightings,"_ Torterra answered, stepping forward. The usually docile Grass and Ground-Type seemed more energetic than usual, swaying almost impatiently as he continued. " _Apparently, there were plans to establish a base up here, but since the map seemed to be printed out years ago, we don't really know the status of their construction."_

The Bird Pokemon narrowed her eyes and began to scratch her chin with a wing _. "You say that Team Rocket has a base up here? That's pretty problematic if you ask me."_ She glanced back at her flock before turning to the guests once again. " _Y'all can stay around if you like. There's plenty of space. But if you want to ask about Team Rocket, you should talk to the local Moltres. Either him or my Trainer."_

" _You have a Trainer?"_ Hawlucha asked, pausing his yoga to speak up. Daro echoed his thoughts with a questioning tilt of his head.

" _Yeah. He hasn't used me for a Gym battle in years, though. It's kinda sad."_

" _Oh."_

" _Anyway,"_ Pidgeot spoke up, raising a wing, " _you should look for Moltres. He'll help you…if he finds you to be worthy of it."_

" _It's okay,"_ Daro muttered under his breath, knowing that Noivern would pick up on his words _. "If everything fails, we can always pull the 'Chosen One' card."_

* * *

" _By the way, Daro,"_ Pidgeot spoke up, " _have we met before? You seem familiar, but my memory is pretty bad…"_

* * *

Noivern shivered as his team traversed deeper underground. Pidgeot followed them gingerly, and the group was silent as if they'd fallen into a trance.

The Dragon and Flying-Type felt the same way. It had been such a long time since he'd been so warm.

* * *

" _****,"_ Aerodactyl cursed. " _Out of all of them, I get some ******* ****** dragon."_

Garchomp stared at his opponent. In all his years, he'd never heard such profane language. The Mach Pokemon narrowed his eyes, huffing angrily and sizing up his opponent.

" _Is there something wrong?"_ Ash asked, using his Aura to communicate. Thankfully, the Trainer hadn't heard the opponent's verbiage.

" _This guy's a bad influence."_

" _Huh?"_

The Dragon and Ground-Type crossed his arms. " _I don't like him."_

" _Okay…so what do you want me to do?"_

From the other side of the field, Lance chuckled loudly, as if he could hear the silent conversation himself. "Aerodactyl, use Stealth Rock!" he yelled.

Pointed stones circled around the Rock and Flying-Type, who swung his pointed tail around, flinging the attack in the direction of Garchomp's side of the field.

" _Dragon Claw!"_ Ash instructed.

His Dragon-Type immediately launched himself forward, meticulously swiping at every bit of stone that flew at his side of the field. Glowering, yellow eyes surveyed the field, and claws sliced each attack cleanly in half. The Trainer immediately could tell that his Pokemon was _pissed_.

" _There's definitely something bothering you,"_ the Aura adept remarked. " _I've never seen you so angry. Would you like me to switch you ou—"_

" _No."_

Ash shrugged. " _I don't mind it if you're focused."_

" _Okay. Just let me teach him a lesson,"_ the dragon replied.

"Hyper Beam!" Lance called out. "Repeat!"

Garchomp barely dodged the force of incoming light that slammed into the stadium wall behind him. With a spin, he launched himself into the air to meet the Rock and Flying-Type in the sky. Beams of light shot into the sky, exploding where the Dragon and Ground-Type had been, milliseconds ago.

" _Dragon Claw,"_ Ash instructed.

The Mach Pokemon began to circle around his opponent with an unnatural speed, spinning around in intricate patterns across the field. With a shout, he swung his arms into two, well-placed Dragon Claws that would've hit if it wasn't for Aerodactyl's superior experience in maneuvering through the currents.

" _You're on public television,"_ Garchomp grunted, speeding forward to catch up to the other Pokemon. " _You said that on_ _public television_ _!"_

From the other side of the field, Lance frowned. "Ice Fang!" he called out.

" _Dodge and use Dragon Claw,"_ Ash instructed. " _To the right!"_

As the Dragon and Ground-Type spun, he swept under his opponent, slashing at the exposed underbelly of the Fossil Pokemon and throwing him up into the air.

" _You are a terrible example to children watching this broadcast,"_ Garchomp growled. " _I cannot condone such profanity."_

" _Don't talk to me, ******* *****,"_ Aerodactyl replied before biting into his opponent's shoulder with Ice Fang. " _Arceus **** your ***."_

" _I demand that you stop dirtying the mind of my Trainer."_

" _I don't need to listen to your ******, *******."_ Another Ice Fang grazed the Dragon and Ground-Type's left leg.

Ash stared. So _this_ was what he was so angry at. Even Gary's Electivire was less…intense.

Oh well. It wasn't like he knew what any of that meant.

" _Garchomp, Draco Meteor. And put it on repeat!"_

* * *

The beating Aerodactyl received was, in Ash's opinion, intense.

Flaming balls of fire and rock rained down upon the stadium. The sky flared sparks of red and orange, almost like fireworks lighting the sky. Garchomp roared, sending meteors to the earth.

It would've been beautiful if it wasn't so scarily powerful.

Explosions rang throughout the stadium, blowing up chunks of the field and sending debris into the air. The sheer force of the attack sent a cloud of smoke that could be seen from miles away.

Aerodactyl laid on the destroyed floor, passed out.

* * *

Infernape had seen his fair share of abnormalities (being sent back in time was strange in itself), but this was plain scary.

" _Hello, Moltres!"_ Pidgeot greeted, waving. " _How's it going?"_

Infernape couldn't believe his eyes. The lair of lava and obsidian was magnificently massive. Columns of rock supported a natural throne that stood in the middle of a pool of molten debris. Standing in the middle of the chamber was a bird engulfed in an aura of sheer power that made the Fire and Fighting-Type tremble slightly.

Daro gawked. " _Oh ****."_

* * *

The Altaria was gorgeous.

" _Dang,_ " Pikachu remarked, peeking out from the folds of Ash's cape.

"Shut up," the Trainer replied aloud, silencing his Starter.

" _He's a male,"_ Garchomp deadpanned. " _Get civilized, please."_

" _I'd like to let you know that you're offending people with your conservative—"_

" _Pikachu,"_ Ash interrupted, " _just be quiet, 'kay? It's not your turn to battle yet."_

* * *

"Altaria, Sky Attack!" Lance shouted.

The Champion of Kanto nodded in encouragement as the Flying and Dragon-Type took to the skies with a majestic flap of its cloudlike wings. The Humming Pokemon sped forward, becoming a blur of blue and white and engulfing itself in an aura of bright orange as it looped in the direction of its opponent.

" _Use Dragon Claw to catch him,"_ Ash spoke up.

The Mach Pokemon obliged, twisting in the air before swinging an arm around to hit the other dragon in the side. Altaria feinted left but was caught in Dragon Claw nonetheless.

" _Down! Use Earthquake!"_ the Trainer instructed.

The Dragon and Ground-Type crashed into the field, pounding his opponent into the already-destroyed debris that littered the stadium floor. With a shout, the ground began to shake, and Altaria was jostled by the effect of the powerful move.

" _You're quite bulky for an Altaria,"_ Garchomp remarked. " _I commend you for your perseverance."_

The Flying and Dragon-Type didn't reply.

" _You know, your teammate, Aerodactyl, was quite profane. It seems like you're the opposite."_

Altaria swallowed.

" _You're quite annoying, you know,"_ he replied, and let out a powerful Dragon Breath, breaking Garchomp's concentration. With a laugh, the Humming Pokemon swept into the air with a Sky Attack and swooped back down, hitting his opponent's right shoulder.

" _Draco Meteor,"_ Ash instructed. " _Make a cage."_

" _On it."_

Fire rained from the sky, and Altaria was left to dodge each meteor with a strangely swift grace.

* * *

" _Ash."_

" _Yes, Garchomp?"_

The Dragon and Ground-Type frowned as Altaria's Ice Beam narrowly missed the Mach Pokemon's tail. " _He's so energetic."_

" _Huh?"_

Pikachu sighed, although his voice was a bit muffled under the cape. " _Ash, have you not noticed? Lance used a Full Restore."_

" _How?"_

Garchomp rolled to the side, twisting himself so that Draco Meteor launched straight at his opponent. " _He had it in his mouth."_

" _He had a spray bottle in his mouth?!"_

" _I dunno,"_ the dragon replied, narrowly dodging another Ice Beam from Altaria.

" _How do you guys know this?"_ Ash asked.

" _How did you know that Alain didn't cheat?"_ Pikachu countered.

" _You're being mea—"_

" _I'm being pragmatic."_

* * *

"Altaria, Hyper Beam!" Lance shouted. There was a hint of nervousness in his eyes. It didn't help that Ash had decided to stare at the Champion for the remainder of his match, just to make the other Trainer feel guilty.

" _Exposed,"_ Pikachu remarked.

" _Dodge!"_ Ash instructed. " _Now, Draco Meteor! And aim it!"_

* * *

Lance recalled the fainted Pokemon and switched it out for a red Gyarados.

" _Hey,"_ it greeted.

" _Hi,"_ Garchomp replied.

Ash waved.

" _Woah, let's chill for a second,"_ the Water and Flying-Type spoke up. " _I know you."_

" _Me?"_ the Mach Pokemon asked.

" _Naw. Your Trainer, bro."_

" _Me? Oh yeah. We met back in Johto if I remember correctly. The problem is, how does he recognize me?"_

Garchomp shrugged. " _Us Pokemon have better memories than you Humans, you know."_

" _Oh. That's right."_

" _Ewww,"_ Pikachu spoke up. " _You do a terrible impression of Meowth."_

" _Shut up."_

* * *

Gary stared in awe at the magnificent-looking Water and Flying-Type. It had been a while since he'd seen a shiny Pokemon.

Next to him, Clemont shivered. Unpleasant memories resurfaced, reminding him of Team Flare and the events at Lumiose Tower.

The battling Pokemon seemed too similar to _Lysandre's_ Gyarados.

* * *

Serena watched as Garchomp slammed his tail to the ground, using Earthquake to disrupt the flow of Surf's waves. By now, the field was a mess of mud and puddles of water. Both battling Pokemon were caked in the remnants of their own attacks but showed an unrelenting strength as they continued to fire Hyper Beams and Draco Meteors at each other.

Iris seemed to be entranced by each explosion that shook the stadium. Her Dragon-Type also had been enthralled by the battle.

The Pokemon Performer smiled as the challenger tilted his hat down to prevent himself from being blinded by the attacks. Garchomp almost reminded her of Ash's faithful Greninja from the way the Mach Pokemon sped around the field, creating the illusion that he was everywhere at once.

"Gyarados, Surf!" Lance shouted. "Make a tsunami!"

The challenger held out a hand as if he was directing his own Pokemon to counter. Garchomp sped up into the air, narrowly missing the attack. With a shout, the Dragon and Ground-Type used Draco Meteor, dousing the field with another round of fireballs.

It was strange. Whenever the Mach Pokemon used the powerful Dragon-Type move, a stray bolt would always find its way toward Serena's place in the stands. Next to her, Dawn would yell in surprise and hold her Piplup tight, as if he was defending him against the move.

May just stared.

Without the barriers of Protect made by Mr. Mime, Serena figured she would've been…

It was best left unsaid.

* * *

Bonnie leaned back in her seat as she watched her new friend, Max, comment on every strategy used on both sides.

"This is a high-level battle," the Hoenn native remarked. "Garchomp flies really fast. Did you know that Garchomps have special scales that help them reduce drag?"

"Cool."

The young girl continued to watch the battle, taking in the sheer power of both Pokemon. It was obvious to her that Altaria was stronger, but it seemed that Garchomp had more to fight for and was pushing himself past his limits to win.

This was the difference between a challenger and a Gym Leader, she realized. One had a dream to fight for.

Bonnie wondered whether _that_ was the reason Clemont had been neglecting his Gym Leader duties.

Either way, she made a promise to herself that she'd beat him at his own Gym…someday.

* * *

Brock squinted.

He was pretty sure that the Garchomp seemed familiar to him.

Nevermind that. He knew he'd seen that Charizard before.

 _And_ that Sceptile.

"Mew!" the former Gym Leader exclaimed as the realization hit him. How hadn't he seen it before?

* * *

Misty knew that something was wrong from the moment Brock started shaking and sweating profusely.

She chose to ignore it. Her friend was a bit eccentric at times.

* * *

Pyramid King Brandon chuckled. He hadn't expected the challenger to make it this far.

But then again, the kid had always been keeping surprises up his sleeve.

* * *

Delia smiled at the television screen.

* * *

"Gyarados, Thrash!"

The red Water and Flying-Type lunged at the Mach Pokemon angrily.

" _Draco Meteor!"_

* * *

Ash returned the fainted Pokemon, silently thanking him for his perseverance and help.

Gallade appeared next to the Trainer with a Teleport, waving to the crowd as he did so.

" _I just learned Heal Pulse,"_ he revealed.

" _Good job. Just try not to get the floor muddy,"_ the teen replied. " _It's pretty expensive."_

" _Oh. Okay."_

With a flash of light, the Blade Pokemon disappeared.

* * *

Lance smirked, bringing out a Pokeball from his belt. "Aerodactyl, come show your strength!" he yelled.

"Max Revive," the Trainer whispered aloud. "So they _do_ use them."

" _Yup,"_ his Starter replied. " _Either that, or he's using another Aerodactyl. But Max Revives and Potions are acceptable in Lance's battle. You'd know if you've been reading the handbook."_

"I do know, for your information. It's just that Gary told me not to use them."

" _Right."_

On the other side of the field, the Champion of Kanto fastened a Mega Stone around the neck of his Pokemon.

"Now?" Ash whispered to the Pikachu hiding in the cape.

" _Sure, why not?"_

* * *

"Greninja, let's show them our bond!" Ash shouted aloud, to the surprise of the entire stadium. The crowd fell still as they heard the voice of the challenger for the first time throughout the day.

The Ninja Pokemon appeared in a flash of white, taking a pose of meditation. The Water and Dark-Type faced his opponent, bowing slightly to show respect to the older Pokemon.

The Trainer reached for his hat, and, with a slight smirk, lifted it from his head and put it on the Pikachu who seemingly appeared next to him. In a smooth motion, he unfastened the cape that hung from his shoulders, letting it drop to the ground behind him.

As Greninja took an offensive stance, the Indigo Plateau was silent.

The teen took a deep breath. With a free hand, he covered his eyes, reverting them from an icy red to the warm brown that they've always been.

* * *

 **So I was like, "I better finish the Lance battle so that I can move on to the next thing."**

 **And then I was like, "Naw."**

 **So. Yeah. Sorry for the short chapter.**

 **If all goes well, I'll see you guys again next week.**

 **Best wishes!**

 **~Cress**


	32. Chapter 32

**Okay. I can now say that this is the longest chapter I've ever written.**

 **And as for why it took so long...you'll see. (I stayed up so many nights for this since my WPM - words per minute - is painstakingly low.)**

 **Anyway, let's get straight to the comments! To be honest, there were days where I couldn't find motivation to write (how do you guys write battles without giving up halfway through?) when one of you would comment with something along the lines of, "PLEASE UPDATE; I'M DYING RIGHT NOW" and I'd laugh and get straight to work.**

 _ **Thank you so much for that.**_

 **But before that...anyone here excited for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon? It's a bit early, in my opinion, but it'll be cool. There's also going to be a new opening for the anime! (And yes, I still follow that thing. It excites my fanfiction writing.)**

 **Comments:**

 **Noxlux013: Infernape and the squad are having fun at the top of Mt. Silver, aren't they. Oh, and...I'm guessing that there'll be around three to five chapters left, although I really don't want to write the last mini-arc. Eh. Either way, I'll finish, at the very latest, by September.**

 **Lectori Salutem: Well, this chapter was like, five days late, but that's okay. It's long to make up for everything. And I _did_ pass my tests - thank you so much for your best wishes (haha, get it? I'll stop now) - with high As and stuff. And since it's summer, I can write a bit more, now. Great, right?**

 **kidneysrgood: Thanks! Hold on to your seat, though. This next chapter will be cool.**

 **bladetri: like xD**

 **Frost Glaive: Yeah, I really need to update soon, right? Well, here it is. You'll like it.**

 **Guest: Yes, I did. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Guest: Nah, I didn't Lance and Lysandre are different people. They just both have a red Gyarados (like, in the anime they do).**

 **ElectraX12: Thank you so much! To be honest, I'm the type of person who needs these breaks, especially when reading battles. Without them, I'd just skim through the entire thing and just read for who wins...heh heh...anyway, thanks again. A lot. Yeah. Enjoy!**

 **Yami-chan and the Unrealistic: I strive for epicness. Throwing Lance off his game, though...eh. It's been fun writing this chapter (and I mean that in very loose terms. It was tedious). And as for the Max and Bonnie exchange, it was fun and cute, haha.**

 **ultimateCCC: Dun dun dun!**

 **multyfangirl19: I hope you're ready fo the action! It'll be great. :P**

 **Lianne: Woah, slow down! I'm here with the next chapter! xD Just...yeah. Have fun reading this.**

 **Johnny Spectre: Hmmm...I guess you'll have to see.**

 **Lillian Smith: You have it now! It's the FINAL COUNTDOWN!**

 **Guest: When will I update? Hmmm...now's a good time.**

 **Nam Chu: Haha, I'm glad you like it. Well, it's here now, so read on!**

 **...**

 **So, in conclusion...I hope you won't hate on me too much when Ash lo—**

 **I didn't say anything.**

 **Iku-ZE! I'm sleep-deprived!**

* * *

Swellow barrel rolled as he swooped down, wings tucked in for a dive. Going downhill was much faster than climbing up.

* * *

" _We really don't want to battle you,"_ Infernape spoke up, addressing the Legendary, who had been staring daggers at the group of incoming Pokemon as they filed into the cavern.

" _Pidgeot, who are these people?"_ Moltres thundered.

Said Bird Pokemon smiled sweetly. " _They've been climbing the mountain. Something about finding Team Rocket bases up here."_

" _Team Rocket, you say?"_ the Flame Pokemon asked, stretching his wings. " _Are you with them?"_

" _Against them, sir,"_ Torterra explained. " _Our Trainer asked us to come up here and search for some since some construction of one was seen on a map we stole from them."_

The Fire and Flying-Type nodded slightly. " _I see. How do I know you're not here to disturb my peace?"_

Daro the Tauros stiffened slightly. " _Now is a good time to bring up that 'Chosen One' card,"_ he whispered to his teammates.

" _Uh,"_ Infernape addressed the Legendary, " _my Trainer is the type who'll catch a falling Pokemon, even jumping off the largest cliffs and tallest buildings to do so."_

Moltres narrowed his eyes. " _But that's against the laws of gravity. If the Pokemon is already falling, the Trainer cannot possibly fall at a faster r—"_

" _Aura,"_ Daro whispered. " _Explains everything."_

Infernape tried not to look uncomfortable. " _The thing is—"_

" _Our Trainer is the Chosen One, destined to keep the balance of the world!"_ Hawlucha suddenly declared, frustrated with his leader's inability to speak his mind.

" _Wow, really?"_ Pidgeot asked. " _Mine too!"_

She paused. " _Wait a second…"_

The Legendary flew up, engulfing himself in a covering of flames before landing next to the group of traveling Pokemon. " _Your trainer is Ash?"_ he asked. " _Ash Ketchum?"_

" _Yes sir,"_ Hawlucha answered, spreading his wings out and bowing his head in respect.

" _Same,"_ Pidgeot spoke up, nodding in agreement _. "Wait, we're teammates?"_

" _We are?"_ Noivern asked. " _Cool."_

Torterra shrugged, turning to look at Daro. " _I don't remember her."_

Said Tauros tilted his head, reminiscing the past. " _Yeah, Ash had a Pidgeot. She's in charge of a Pidgey flock on Route 1 now—oh."_

Moltres held out a wing, and Infernape shook it gingerly. " _My brother complains about your Trainer,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type revealed. " _He blamed the kid for stopping him from taking over the world."_

" _You can't really take over the world as a Moltres, though,"_ Torterra spoke up. " _There's a reason Lugia and Mew exist."_

" _And Rayquaza,"_ Pidgeot added on, nodding in agreement.

The Legendary chuckled. " _I guess so. But give him my thanks for that. I don't think he understands that destroying the world isn't a good thing."_

* * *

" _So, is your job here done?"_ Moltres asked. " _There's nothing up here, as far as I know."_

" _Yes, it is,"_ Infernape replied. _"We need to head back down, now."_

 _"Wait,"_ the Legendary spoke up, raising a wing to gather the attention of the travelers. _"I still need to thank your Trainer. Tell him that he can seek shelter on my mountain. There are powerful Pokemon up here that would be delighted to train with you all. Plus, I'd like to meet him someday. It'd be an honor."_

 _"We should be thanking you," _Torterra replied. _"The Pokemon up here are much stronger than anything we've seen before."_

Moltres laughed heartily. _"You make me feel proud. Anyway, once he comes up here, tell him to visit me before he heads to the peak. I might want a battle."_

* * *

As they left Moltres's presence, Infernape let himself relax. He hadn't realized that he was so his tail toward Pidgeot. "

The Flame Pokemon flicked his tail toward Pidgeot, addressing the Bird Pokemon. _"So, what_ _is_ _your flock doing here, anyway?"_ he asked.

* * *

"Ash!" Lance exclaimed, spreading his arms and letting his cape billow slightly in the wind. "What a surprise. You're years younger than _I_ was when I first challenged the Elite Four."

The Trainer on the other side of the field seemed to bow slightly in in respect, thanking the Dragon Master politely for the battle.

To be honest, the Kanto-Johto Champion was stunned. He never thought that he would be challenged by _him_ of all people. Sure, the last time they'd met, the kid was pretty memorable, but not in an impressive way, really.

He should've seen it coming.

There was also another problem: the Johto-native had no idea what a Greninja was. The bipedal Pokemon in front of its Trainer stared at Aerodactyl with calculating eyes, as if it seen right through every strategy Lance had to offer. It seemed similar to Lucario and Toxicroak. Maybe it was a Fighting-Type? But its coloring was similar to Poliwrath. Water-Type?

That was stretching it.

On the other side of the field, the challenger cleared his throat loudly. "It's an honor to battle you," he replied with a polite smile.

"I'm not going easy on you, Ash," the Dragon Master replied with a grin. "Aerodactyl, Earthquake!"

* * *

"How did you know it was _him_?" Dawn asked her fellow Coordinator, who didn't seem fazed at the sight of her friend. Next to her, Buneary had released herself from her Pokeball and had begun to cheer for her friends. Axew did the same, jumping repeatedly and yelling at the top of his lungs.

"His Sceptile," she replied. "He beat a Darkrai with it back in Sinnoh, right? It's the only Sceptile I know with a twig in its mouth."

"He beat a Darkrai?" Iris asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Used the same strategy, too. Those things aren't accustomed to physical attacks."

Dawn laughed, putting an arm around the Hoenn-native. "When did you start paying attention to this kind of stuff? Are you thinking of challenging any Gyms soon?"

"Nah. My brother."

Everyone—except Serena—let out a collective "oh" as they recalled how Max would often ramble about strategies that different Trainers used on a daily basis.

* * *

Serena stared at the Water and Dark-Type on the field, who had taken a defensive stance, disappearing from view to dodge Aerodactyl's Thunder Fang attacks.

Didn't Ash only come back from Kalos a few months earlier? What other strong Pokemon does he have? If Greninja is on his team right now, does that mean he's the strongest Water-Type Ash has? When did that Ninja Pokemon even get back on his team?

"I never thought Ash would make it this far in such little time," Iris admitted as Aerodactyl dodged a few more Water Shurikens. "I mean, he's such a kid. Did Kalos change him or something?"

"I know right?" Dawn laughed along. "He's always getting himself hurt and possessed and into really bad situations. Sometimes I wonder how he's still alive in the first place."

May shrugged, watching Aerodactyl swoop in with another Thunder Fang.

"What _is_ that Pokemon anyway?" Iris asked. "The one that Ash is battling with, that is."

Everyone turned to the Pokemon Performer expectedly.

Serena chose that moment to speak up. "Uh, it's a Greninja—a Water and Dark-Type. Ash caught it before I met up with him."

* * *

"Rayquaza, that's Ash!" Max exclaimed as the Trainer turned his head to face the crowd. The Pallet Town native's slight smile was even visible from where the two kids were sitting.

"And it's his Greninja!" Bonnie realized, pointing at the Water and Dark-Type on the field. "Hi, Greninja!" she shouted, swinging both arms in the air and trying to get the Ninja Pokemon's attention.

Max turned to his new friend, a shocked expression prominent on his face. "You know Ash?" he asked, watching as the Aerodactyl in the air started glowing as the Fossil Pokemon swung his tail, using the weight to pull his body out of the way of a powerful Ninja Shuriken attack.

Bonnie giggled, leaning back in her seat. "Of course I do. Who doesn't?"

"Good point."

* * *

"Hey, it's Ash," Brock pointed out, crossing his arms in approval as Aerodactyl's Sky Attack was barely dodged by Greninja, who didn't seem fazed at the move.

"Hah!" Misty exclaimed, smirking. "He's too sophisticated to be Ash. That's 'I'm-Looking-Mature-For-The TV-Ash.' There's a difference. A _huge_ difference."

The Rock-Type Trainer didn't quite understand but decided to go along with it anyway. "He's been doing well, though."

"Then it's 'I'm-Looking-Talented-For-The-TV-Ash.'"

"You're going way too hard on him," the former Pewter Gym Leader remarked. "He's stronger than both of us now."

"Hmmm, we'll see. His battling style has certainly changed, though."

"You're not giving him a break, huh," Brock said, chuckling. "It _has_ been a long time since we've traveled together."

"Yep. Years, hasn't it?"

"You can challenge him _after_ his battle with Lance," the Rock-Type Trainer suggested. "I'll referee."

"Nah. I have to let the poor boy rest so I can beat him up at full strength," Misty replied. "He must be exhausted by now."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Ash shouted across the battlefield, letting his concern show as smoke covered the entire battlefield.

" _Yes…"_ the Ninja Pokemon replied, stepping behind the fumes, just out of sight from his opponent.

The Trainer let out a heaving sigh. By then, even the audience could see that he was sweating profusely. It seemed like only adrenaline was keeping him on his feet.

"You know, we can't let him beat us like that," the teen spoke up, smiling at his Pokemon. "I don't know the depths of your power, and I doubt you do either. But we both have a goal, right? And it takes a strong bond to achieve that goal."

He continued, using Aura to talk silently. " _Greninja, I'm proud to have you with me against Lance, and even though it may feel like you have something to prove to Charizard and Sceptile because of their experience, but you don't. They both acknowledge you for your strength, and I do too."_

* * *

Bonnie could feel her excitement heat up. It had been a while since she'd seen Ash and Greninja in action…

* * *

" _I have one question for you: are you ready to show the world our bond?"_

The Ninja Pokemon knew where this was going. With a curt nod, he took a position of meditation, closing his eyes and feeling his spirit collide with his Trainer's…

* * *

Ash let his cape fall to the ground behind him, pulsing his Aura so that he could move his hands again. The world had their eyes on him as the Trainer closed his eyes, feeling a rush of energy as he connected with his Pokemon.

"Alright, Water...Shuriken!" he shouted, feeling time slow down as a tornado of water twisted to the heavens, shrouding the two in its cover. For a second too long, it lingered, but evaporated into the air and concentrated into the Water and Dark-Type's back, forming the giant four-pointed, watery star that had been familiar to many. Greninja had changed forms, taking the appearance of his Trainer.

The Ninja Pokemon flung the weapon on its back, twisting in the air as both the Pokemon and Trainer felt their adrenaline push them forward into battle.

* * *

From the stands, it seemed as if the Water and Dark-Type's strength and speed had multiplied tenfold. Even the audience could feel the sheer aura of the power emanating from the field.

"What is—" Iris began, but was abruptly cut off by Serena.

"We call it Ash-Greninja," the Pokemon Performer explained. "Impressive, huh?"

The Kalosian turned her attention back to the field, watching as the Ninja Pokemon gracefully ducked under Aerodactyl's swoop into a Thunder Fang. Ash shouted something, but it was left unheard as the Rock and Flying-Type's attack hit the ground instead, causing an explosion that rocketed into the air.

* * *

The Kanto-Johto Champion scanned the battlefield, taking in the phenomenon. _This_ was what happened when one doesn't keep up with the deeds of young, aspiring Trainers.

But it was too late to rectify his mistake; he had a battle to win.

His Flying and Rock-Type looked back at him, giving the Champion an urgent look.

Lance knew what he had to do.

"Aerodactyl! Mega Evolve!"

* * *

Cilan's eyes widened in amazement. "It's a blend of flavors!" he exclaimed. "Spice, salt, and a bit of pepper too! What wonderful colors from a most extraordinary bond!"

"That is so not fair," Chili muttered.

* * *

"Water Shuriken!" Ash yelled as he saw the exposed back of Aerodactyl. Greninja's vision flooded his own, and the Trainer tried to match his calculations with a possible attack.

"Sky Attack!" Lance commanded, and before anyone could react, the Fossil Pokemon dived down, twisting in midair and making direct contact with the Water and Dark-Type's left side.

Ash instinctively clutched the flaring pain, groaning slightly, then realized—a bit too late—that Aerodactyl had swooped in with another Sky Attack. His right shoulder exploded with agony.

"Hydro Pump!" he shouted, trying to ignore his new psychological bruises. His right hand instinctively moved in front, making a two-fingered gesture. On the field, Greninja did the same, lifting a finger to his mouth and blowing out a pressurized stream of water.

"Thunder Fang!"

Aerodactyl barely dodged the attack, turning on his side to avoid it, and twisted around, electrifying the spray of water—and Greninja—with another electrical attack (all while muttering some extremely profane language). Ash felt Lance's confused glance at the Trainer's discomforted expression, and the teen tried not to grimace some more as Thunder Fang hit its mark once again on Greninja's left arm.

" _Are you okay, Ash?"_ the battling Pokemon asked, voice full of concern.

"Just keep going," he replied.

He hadn't felt this much pain from the bond in a long time.

But that was okay.

* * *

"Ash is being hurt!" May exclaimed in horror. "Does this happen a lot?" she asked.

Serena clasped her hands in a prayer-like position. "He learned how to control it before the Kalos League, but right now, I'm not so sure…"

"Hey, I know that guy!" a young kid pointed from behind the group. "He starred in like half my favorite movies!"

Dawn shrugged in disinterest.

* * *

Gary stared in shock as Ash-Greninja knocked Mega-Aerodactyl back with another Hydro Pump.

"I wouldn't think that Ash would use Greninja in this battle," Clemont remarked. "He seems to have so many other Pokemon to use, like Charizard and Sceptile. Oh, and that's a Greninja, by the way: the final evolved form of a Kalos Starter."

"That's it," the Pokemon Researcher grumbled. "I'm going to Kalos this summer."

* * *

" _Hey."_

" _Hi, Gallade,"_ Pikachu greeted, waving at the Blade Pokemon that had just Teleported in. " _What's up?"_

" _I dunno. Charizard and Sceptile are arguing aga—wait."_ The Psychic and Fighting-Type paused, narrowing his eyes at the other side of the field. " _Did you just see that?"_

"What?" Ash asked, turning his body to the left as Greninja did so on the field to avoid another Sky Attack.

" _Don't listen to us,"_ Pikachu instructed.

"M'kay."

The Psychic and Fighting-Type crouched down to the Electric-Type's level. " _The smoke,"_ the Blade Pokemon whispered. " _Lance is using Full Restores whenever his Aerodactyl isn't seen."_

" _How do you know?"_ Pikachu asked.

" _I heard this quote somewhere before,"_ Gallade replied, " _that 'you don't get to be Champion of the Pokemon League without knowing how to spam Full Restores.' Or something like that."_

" _Hm. Sounds familiar."_

Gallade stood up, tapping his Trainer's shoulder. " _Make Aerodactyl switch sides,"_ he suggested. " _You'll gain an advantage because you'd be seeing him from two different angles."_

"Got it."

On the field, Greninja nodded—hearing the instructions from his Trainer's point of view, and somersaulted over the Flying and Rock-Type, backing against the demarcation of battle on Lance's side of the field.

"Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted. "And put it on repeat!"

* * *

Greninja walked back to his Trainer as the Elite Four member recalled fainted Pokemon. Aerodactyl had returned to his normal form and was lying on the ground, unconscious.

" _That was a good strategy,"_ the Water and Dark-Type complimented. " _How did you know it would work?"_

* * *

"Druddigon!" Lance yelled, calling out his Dragon-Type. "Use Outrage!"

Immediately, the Cave Pokemon began to glow a faint red. With a roar, she sped straight for her opponent.

"Greninja, Toxic!"

The Water and Dark-Type lifted a finger to his mouth, spewing a purple, liquid substance from what seemed like thin air.

Pikachu watched the battle with a hint of concern. His Trainer was visibly shaking. " _You're pushing yourself too hard. Switch out,"_ he suggested.

"I'm sorry, Pikachu," Ash replied, wincing as Druddigon slammed into Greninja, sending the Water and Dark-Type tumbling backward. "If I could understand what you are saying…"

" _Idiot,"_ the Electric-Type muttered, and thought of using Thunderbolt on his Trainer but figured that it would land the idiot in the hospital and cause Greninja to lose the battle.

" _Haha, I get it,"_ Gallade spoke up, laughing, then realized the situation as Pikachu turned to stare at the Blade Pokemon. He sheepishly Teleported away.

Pikachu sighed. " _Why don't you just use your Pokedex? It'll be easier."_

" _You're just trying to make me cheat,"_ the Pallet Town Trainer used Aura to reply. " _Plus, I don't have a Pokedex right now. It's with Gary."_

" _Hey, you_ _do_ _understand me!"_ Ash's Starter exclaimed, exasperated.

The Trainer noticed that the afternoon sun was starting to beat down on the arena. It was already around three in the afternoon, and Ash found that no matter how much the Druddigon was poisoned, she would always have enough energy to launch herself back at Greninja with Outrage.

"Gunk Shot!" Lance commanded. The Cave Pokemon snapped out of her confusion and immediately fired bits of poison at her opponent, jumping into the air and letting her wings direct her glide as she swooped back down.

A sudden numbness shot through his veins, as if his right arm had suddenly been doused in a bucket of ice water. His body began to cramp up, and a small but constant flaring pain distracted the Trainer, crushing his ability to come up with another strategy. It was an interesting phenomenon…but terrifying at the same time.

Ash curled his fingers into a shaky fist. So _this_ was what it was like to be poisoned.

Usually, Druddigon weren't considered to be as powerful as dragons like Dragonite and Garchomp, but Lance's strategy seemed to be based on pure strength and power.

Ash realized that his League team consisted of no Unovian Pokemon.

So Lance was also relying on the fact that the Trainer might've not known the identity of the Cave Pokemon in the first place. Maybe if he told Krookodile that, the poor Dark and Ground-Type wouldn't feel so bad, staying at the ranch and all.

Druddigon: A Dragon-Type. Weak to Ice, Dragon, and Fairy. They live in Unova, have giant arms for digging, and are supposedly absurdly slow. Back during his travels in the Decolore Islands, the Trainer had met Clair's Druddigon…

It clicked.

"Greninja, do you know Ice Beam?" he asked, crouching down as the Water and Dark-Type ducked under another Thunder Fang that narrowly missed the Ninja Pokemon.

" _No…"_

"Well, I'm going to teach it to you. Imagine yourself using Hydro Pump, but make it colder. Freeze everything and hit Druddigon's wings!"

Greninja used Hydro Pump, sending the spray of water throughout the field.

" _A little colder,"_ Ash assured. " _You can do this!"_

* * *

"Is he seriously trying to teach a move? Right now?" Cynthia asked, staring at the field, where both battling Pokemon were engaged in a back-and-forth exchange of attacks and moves.

"The kid's got spunk!" Alder remarked. "I don't recognize him, though."

The Sinnoh Champion smirked slightly. "Of course _you_ don't. No one really expected you to in the first place."

"I don't understand why you torture him so much," Steven Stone spoke up, twirling a Mega Ring on a finger. The Hoenn Champion leaned back in his seat lazily, stretching before returning his attention to a tablet on his lap.

"Why did you even come if you had other things to do?" Diantha asked, leaning over to see what the man was doing. She crossed her legs, eyes lighting up in interest as she saw bits of research pop up on the screen.

"I wanted to be here so I could establish a good relationship with Kanto if Lance is defeated," the Hoenn Champion replied. "We need their Silph Co. and Pokeball exports." He paused. "But it seems as if I don't need to do that. Ash and I are on good terms. At least, I think we are, if he remembers me."

"You two didn't exactly talk much in Kalos," Diantha brought up.

"We met each other in Hoenn, too."

"Oh."

Alder sighed. "Where's Wallace? He was such a cooler guy."

"Wallace?" Cynthia asked. "Such a better personality than you, Alder."

* * *

Greninja rolled over to avoid a Dragon Claw. " _Ash."_

"Yeah?"

" _It's not working."_

On the field, Druddigon roared and began to chase the Ninja Pokemon in circles. Greninja hopped backward, grabbing the giant shuriken from his back and repeatedly used the water weapon to block the incoming Dragon-Type attacks.

" _I know_ it's not working," the Trainer replied. "If you decrease the pressure and volume of the attack, the temperature should drop, but at the same time," he blew a stream of cold air onto the palm of his hand, "I'm missing something."

Pikachu looked utterly confused. Ash had been spending _way_ too much time listening to Sceptile, in his opinion.

"It's a naturally warm day," the Challenger muttered to himself, staying only slightly conscious of the actual battle. "I can't rely on the surroundings, and your body temperature is usually arou—oh." The Trainer paused, relaying his idea to his Pokemon. "Greninja," he shouted, "you know what to do!"

" _Gotcha."_

* * *

The Ninja Pokemon took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He relaxed, relying on his Trainer to guide his actions.

Ash shouted words of encouragement in the background, and the Water and Dark-Type could feel the teen's anxiety and excitement build up within him. He supercooled the water in him, directing the feeling to the tips of his fingers. A thin layer of ice frosted over the webbing of his right hand.

The Water-Type took a deep breath…

* * *

"Greninja, Ice Beam!"

"Hyper Beam, Druddigon!"

* * *

As the attacks negated each other, Ash could see the outline of Druddigon through the smoke with his Aura Sight. Without letting the opponent recover, he relayed his intentions to the Ninja Pokemon.

 _Frozen Water Shuriken!_

Greninja gathered all his remaining strength, focusing it on the giant star on his back. He felt his Trainer's willpower flood into his own, and together, the two forced their energy into the attack.

As the Water and Dark-Type lifted the Water Shuriken, he felt the sheer weight of the weapon. The star had become a giant, glowing crystal, _ten_ times the size of the Ninja Pokemon. It radiated power in the form of blue waves, almost as if his Trainer's Aura had been infused into the Pokemon's own.

With the last of their strength, Greninja hurled the attack at his opponent.

* * *

"Owww."

Ash's legs crumbled beneath him, and his left knee dropped to the ground with a thud. On the battlefield, the smoke on Druddigon's side of the field had not cleared out.

Greninja looked back at his kneeling Trainer with widened eyes.

" _You were taking the damage from me,"_ the Ninja Pokemon realized. " _Deliberately."_

Ash winked, managing a sheepish smile.

Pikachu stared at his Trainer in horror. " _Did I ever tell you how much of an—"_

The smoke blew away. Druddigon had collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

Greninja returned to his normal form in a flash of light, stealing the pain from his Trainer as he did so. The Ninja Pokemon fainted, and Ash stood up again, feeling the aftereffects of the intense battle.

* * *

"Hydreigon, lend me your power!" Lance shouted, releasing the Unovian Pokemon from a shiny-looking Ultra Ball.

The Trainer on the other side of the field nodded, acknowledging the opponent before releasing his final Pokemon. "Glaceon," he called out, "I choose you!"

Vivi appeared in a flash of light, doing a twirl in the air before landing on the field on all fours. She'd recovered earlier by using Water Absorb to regain her energy from her previous close call with Lorelei, so she was fully energized and ready to battle.

" _Ash?"_ she asked, surveying her opponent with a curious glance.

" _Yeah?"_

" _What's that?"_

Her opponent tilted all three heads. " _Who, me?"_

"She's a Hydreigon," the Trainer explained aloud. "A Dragon and Dark-Type. It should be easy to beat her with Fairy-Type moves if you know what I mean."

"'She?'" Lance asked, amused. "You have a good eye. And it seems that you've been to Unova as well. I guess my attempts to throw you off were unsuccessful. Although, it is obvious that your Glaceon has never seen one of those before."

"Yes. Your Hydreigon will know Toxic, won't she?"

"Of course."

"And it's a pity that my Glaceon doesn't know any Fairy-Type moves," Ash spoke up.

To his Electric-Type, it was obvious that the Trainer was trying to postpone the match. In the case Pikachu had to battle again, the challenger wanted the Mouse Pokemon to have rested enough to come back in.

" _I know Fairy-Type moves,"_ Vivi spoke up, much to the horror of her opponent.

" _But he doesn't know that,"_ Ash replied silently, channeling his Aura.

Lance chuckled. "You're saying that an Ice Beam is more than enough to topple my Pokemon?" he asked.

Vivi's Trainer laughed, and the Fresh Snow Pokemon realized what the teen was doing.

Ash was stalling so she could become comfortable with her opponent. The Ice-Type took a few deep breaths, remembering her Trainer's words. Why Fairy-Type?

"And Hydreigon's ability is Levitate, isn't it?" Ash questioned aloud. "Immune to both Ground _and_ Psychic-Type attacks. Smart Typing."

" _It's okay,"_ the teen spoke to his Pokemon. " _She's really weak to Fairy-Type attacks. I need you to relax and trust me."_

" _I'll try."_

" _Thanks, Vivi."_

The Dragon Master crossed his arms, looking at the other Trainer with an expectant look. "I think we should start now, don't you think? Hydreigon, Flamethrower!"

"Dodge!" Ash instructed. The Ice-Type rolled out of the way, although it was clear that the Brutal Pokemon was much quicker than the Eeveelution. Vivi could just barely dodge the move.

"Toxic!" Lance commanded. "And Thunder Wave!"

The challenger narrowed his eyes. If Vivi was slower than her opponent, he'd just have to switch strategies.

"Take it...Espeon!"

Just as the status-inflicting moves hit the Eeveelution, Vivi changed forms, in a flash of light, drawing Psychic-Type energy into herself.

"Heal Bell!" Ash called out, ignoring the sudden stares from the members in the audience. "And Sylveon, Moonblast! Put it on repeat!"

"Flash Cannon, Hydreigon!"

* * *

Serena stared, watching as the beam of energy pierced through the sky, exploding with a flash of light. Her Sylveon, who was sitting on her lap, shared her excitement.

"Via!" the Fairy-Type exclaimed, letting her eyes follow the action.

"Wow," the Pokemon Performer marvelled. "Ash is strong, isn't he?"

"Via, via!"

Behind her, Iris giggled, leaning over to whisper into Dawn's ear. "She's hiding a blush. Look over, I dare you."

"Ax-ew."

Serena turned around, putting her hands on the back of her seat.

"IRIS!"

The Performer's face was Tamato red, but she didn't let that get in the way of chastising her Unovian friend, who had begun to laugh at the expense of the Pokemon Performer. Even Sylveon smiled at her Trainer's antics.

Dawn turned to join the commotion. "Y'know," she spoke up, "the first thing you need to know about liking Ash is that he's so dense that he'd sink to the bottom of the sea of love."

May sighed, putting up her feet on the back of the empty seat in front of her. "But he's a nice guy, too. I wouldn't be surprised if he has fangirls. Maybe they're writing love stories and posting them online on some fanfiction website or something."

Weird looks were thrown at her.

"Hey, it's possible," the Coordinator tried to defend herself.

"Wouldn't that be _us_ , though?" Dawn asked. "I mean, we _do_ watch his League battles, even though it was three in the morning in Hoenn when that Lumiose Conference began."

"Speak for yourself," Iris spoke up. "The kid's a doofus."

As Dawn laughed and Serena tried to shrink in her seat, May suddenly stood up. "Does anyone have food?" she asked. "I'm hungry."

* * *

On the other side of the world, Kukui stroked his chin. It seemed as if there was some special event in Kanto at the time. For a few seconds, the Alolan Pokemon Professor contemplated checking it out.

Oh well. It wasn't like he was going to miss anything relevant to his life.

Or the future, in that sense.

The Professor thought about it for a sec. What if, the knowledge of that single special event in Kanto would change his entire future?

Pretty farfetched, in his opinion.

With a wide yawn, Kukui headed straight for the couch. It was five in the morning, anyway, and he needed some sleep.

* * *

The field was chaos. Vivi ran across the field, meeting every Flash Cannon from the sky with a Moonblast of her own. She felt as if she was in a laser fight—like those in that one movie Charizard had convinced everyone to watch with him. Garchomp had complained about the unnecessary violence in the film while Gallade had become obsessed with the heroics of the main character.

Vivi kept the instructions of her Trainer at the back of her mind. With a flip, she narrowly avoided another Flash Cannon and sent another Moonblast at her opponent.

" _I just need you to knock him out for me,"_ he'd said. " _I don't think Pikachu can deal with her, especially since I know his last Pokemon, and we're lucky that your opponent has such a bad Type disadvantage."_

The Sylveon let another Moonblast sweep the air (and cause a bit of collateral damage on the stadium), pushing herself off the floor to avoid another Flash Cannon with her feelers.

She was definitely much less experienced than the Brutal Pokemon, but her Type Advantage kept her in battle.

* * *

Misty watched the Intertwining Pokemon's hit-and-run strategy with interest. Sylveon would fire a Moonblast at her opponent, then dive for cover as Hydreigon would use Flash Cannon with all three heads, flying in circles around the battlefield to chase the Fairy-Type around.

"Who knew Ash had such a cool Glaceon?" the Water-Type Trainer asked, impressed. "I mean, it's a Sylveon, now, but you get my point."

"Hm. Ash's strategy is probably to stall the battle," Brock replied. "Hydreigon is badly poisoned, so Lance would want to speed up the battle. The problem is, paralysis causes Pokemon to be slower as well. It seems like Lance has trained his Pokemon to overcome status, though. Hydreigon's dealing with it pretty well."

* * *

It was then when the challenger noticed something peculiar. In order to aim better, Hydreigon would stop moving when she fired her attacks.

" _Alright, I have a strategy,"_ Ash informed the battling Fairy-Type. " _On my signal, I want you to use Dig and make a hole in the middle of the field."_

" _On it!"_

The Trainer pulled his hat over his eyes, trying to hide the small smirk that had appeared on his face. Lance would think he was up to something.

He focused, and Aura Sight blinked into view. Waves of blue flooded his vision, and the teen had to focus in order to make out the swirling black accompanied by a strange mixture of red and blue. Hydreigon. In contrast, Vivi glowed with a dim, multicolored light surrounded by a faint pink that reached even to the tips of her feelers.

The Brutal Pokemon shot another Flash Cannon at the Fairy-Type.

" _Dig, now!"_ the Trainer instructed. " _Down...forward...up...now, I want you to turn around and dig around sixty degrees up!"_

Sylveon nodded before remembering that her Trainer probably didn't see her in the first place.

"Flash Cannon into the hole!" Lance shouted. Hydreigon fired, slowly…

The Dark and Dragon-Type suddenly sped up, firing the move a few seconds faster than Ash had predicted her to. The Trainer heard a cry of pain, and the ground exploded, sending chunks of rock, dirt, and a damaged Sylveon into the air. The attack continued, hitting the Brutal Pokemon herself and knocking the Dragon-Type out of her position.

When the field was visible again, Vivi had been knocked out, laying on the ground in front of her opponent.

As Hydreigon began to roar in victory, Toxic finally took its toll, and the Dark and Dragon-Type fell to the ground.

* * *

" _She broke out of paralysis out of sheer love for her Trainer?"_ Pikachu asked. " _BS, if you ask me."_

" _Do you even know what you're saying?"_ Ash asked.

" _Of course_ _I do."_

The teen took off his hat, running a hand through his disheveled, sweaty hair. " _Well, I've heard stories of that happening in some faraway region."_

" _Hah! Those only happen in life-or-death situations in forests and stuff! Maybe that region you talked about has some dangerous Pokemon that would kill on sight,"_ the Electric-Type speculated. _"Only then, the Pokemon might break through status. And that would condition him or her to do it more often."_

Ash fanned himself with his hat, which, by then, was soaked in his own sweat.

Pikachu crossed his arms. " _Just know that if you lose, I'm going to complain about cheating again."_

The Trainer shrugged. " _Fine with me."_

* * *

Ash returned the Fairy-Type, thanking her for her courage and strength.

"Get a nice rest, Vivi," he whispered to her Pokeball before attaching onto his belt.

If the Trainer had been keeping track correctly, Lance had one more Pokemon left. But at the same time, so did the Pallet-Town native…

* * *

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Dragonite! Take charge!" Lance called out in response. A Dragon and Flying-Type took to the field, immediately crossing his arms and surveying his opponents with a glare.

" _Darn,"_ was the first word out of Pikachu's mouth.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

" _That thing is strong."_

" _And?"_ the Aura adept inquired silently.

" _You know the games they made based on battling? Greninja's like, addicted to those. Anyway, in the game, the highest level you can get up to is a hundred. This Dragonite is like, double that!"_

Greninja promptly released himself from his Pokeball. " _I'm not addicted,"_ he tried to defend himself, crossing his arms defiantly and stumbling a little. " _There's also this new one where you try to get your Magikarp to ju—"_

The teen sighed, promptly returning his Water and Dark-Type and refocusing his attention to the imminent battle.

"Hyper Beam, Dragonite!" Lance shouted, his voice echoing throughout the stadium.

"Pikachu, dodge!" Ash yelled frantically, motioning for his Starter to take evasive maneuvers.

" _I got-chu!"_

The attack missed slightly, hitting a wall behind the Trainer and leaving a large crater where a Silph Scope advertisement once was.

Ouch. That would've hurt.

" _And don't even think about deflecting his attacks,"_ Pikachu muttered. " _It's not going to work and you know it."_

" _You don't know that,"_ Ash replied, annoyed, as he tried to think up a viable strategy.

"Hyper Beam!"

" _Doesn't he need to recharge before moving?"_ the teen questioned silently, before hopping slightly to the left as another beam of light energy shot past him, causing a miniature shockwave through the air that left the Trainer clutching his head to prevent his hair from becoming more unruly than it already was. Pikachu had flattened himself, hugging the ground to avoid the attack.

" _Ash, there's a difference between his and my power,"_ the Electric-Type spoke up, " _and I don't think you see it."_

"Shock Wave!" the Trainer shouted as the Flying and Dragon-Type took to the air, ignoring his Starter's remarks. There _had_ to be something…

The attack hit, arcing to connect with the rising Dragon Pokemon, but the opponent didn't even look fazed as he brushed the spot where Shock Wave connected a second earlier with an arm.

" _I need a Raikou to drain electricity from,"_ Pikachu complained.

" _Unfortunately, we don't have a Raikou,"_ the Trainer replied. " _I don't think he wants to help you, anyway."_ He paused, watching as the opponent dived down to attack again. " _Shock Wave…now!"_

"Toxic!" Lance shouted.

Dragonite turned around, taking the electric attack with ease. He opened his mouth, spewing a purple substance from it. Ash shivered involuntarily, briefly remembering the numb feeling of poison coursing up his veins during the earlier battle.

The Trainer was brought back to reality when he noticed that the Electric-Type had been badly poisoned.

" _I can't stall him anymore, but I could try an all-out attack,"_ Pikachu suggested.

Ash couldn't help but roll his eyes, grinning stupidly. " _Stop making fun of my strategies."_

" _Oooh, I have a tip for you. Poison works faster if I move more."_

" _You don't have to tell m—"_

Lance smirked. "Dragonite, Earthquake!" he shouted, watching as the Flying and Dragon-Type swooped down, slamming his tail into the ground and causing the field to shake violently.

"Jump…and Magnet Rise! Now!" Ash instructed aloud, taking a wider stance as a response to the tremors.

" _Right."_ Pikachu jumped in the air and began to use his tail to conjure a makeshift coil out of the electric currents around him, forming a miniature electromagnet that kept the Mouse Pokemon off the ground.

" _Ideas?"_ the Trainer asked silently.

" _I can use Volt Switch. Saves me a lot of pain."_

" _Uh, there's no one to Volt Switch to, though."_

The Electric-Type dodged a Hyper Beam, barrel rolling to the left and sending out a Shock Wave, which only served to annoy the Dragonite a bit further. " _Good point."_ He paused. " _Anyway, you might want to hurry with another strategy. Toxic is…"_

" _Toxic?"_

" _Yeah."_

* * *

"I need a vacation," Ash muttered aloud as Pikachu flew past his head, chased fervently by an angry-looking Dragonite who was firing powerful Hyper Beams in the direction of the dodging Electric-Type.

" _You know,"_ Greninja spoke up, " _if you win this, you're not getting a vacation. You're getting a job."_

" _A high-paying job,"_ the Mouse Pokemon chimed in.

"Pikachu, surround yourself with Thunderbolt! Make a trail!"

The Electric-Type engulfed himself in a charge, channeling the energy behind him.

"Shock Wave!"

* * *

"The intricacy of that combination is impressive," Clemont noted, raising his glasses to get a better view of the battle.

Next to him, Gary had taken out a notebook and had started to draw a complicated-looking diagram with a crude Pikachu-like stick figure in the middle.

"I agree. Pikachu has to direct his electricity in three ways. First, he makes a makeshift coil to keep the electromagnet in the air. Second, he prevents Dragonite from catching up from his blind spot with Thunderbolt, because the attack would hit and alert him that his opponent would be catching up. And lastly," the Researcher drew arrows in different directions, "Pikachu is using Shock Wave, which is a pretty weak attack compared to Thunder but is way more accurate. Dragonite is getting slowly damaged, although Toxic might prevail, instead."

"So Magnet Rise for flight, Thunderbolt for defense, and Shock Wave to attack?" the Lumiose City Gym Leader summarized. "A strange but useful combination, especially since Pikachu, physically, stays mostly still. Instead, it's like Levitate, where it doesn't speed up the effects of Poison. I'd like to try something similar, one day."

* * *

Greninja couldn't help but chuckle. " _You know,"_ he addressed his teammate, " _you look a lot like those fairies that leave trails of sparkles when they f—"_

" _Shut up."_

" _Fairy-Types are useful, though,"_ Ash pointed out. " _Vivi, for one, is amazing."_

Dragonite made a sharp turn, speeding up to block off the flying Pikachu. With a yell, the Electric-Type broke his concentration, dropping to the ground and landing on all fours with a thud.

"You okay?"

" _Yeah."_

"Go ahead and catch your breath," the Trainer instructed. "I'll watch for Dragonite."

Said Dragon Pokemon hovered in midair, also pausing in his pursuit to take a few deep breaths.

Ash turned his gaze toward Lance, who was staring at his Pokemon. "You know," he spoke up, "I heard that Pop Star Pikachu can use Draining Kiss. You wanna—"

" _I'm not wasting my last move on kissing, thank you very much. Plus, he's too powerful for a move like that."_

There was no reply as Dragonite suddenly dived down in preparation for an Earthquake, shouting some rather profane language that the Electric-Type hoped Garchomp (and his Trainer as well) didn't hear.

" _Ash?"_ he asked. " _He's moving…"_

"You can do it, and it's kind of stupid to think otherwise," the teen assured his Starter. "I believe in you, ya know?"

" _Stop being sappy, Ash. What do you want me to—"_

"Magnet Rise, Pikachu," the Trainer instructed aloud, pointing at the sky. "Around seventy degrees to your right! Then, Volt Tackle, now!"

"Use Dragon Dance to speed up your Hyper Beam!"

"Dodge, and keep building the momentum!"

"Slam him into the ground, then Earthquake!"

"Volt Tackle into the Hyper Beam!"

Dragonite roared, and illusory swords began to circle the Flying and Dragon-Type, surrounding the Pokemon with a red aura. He sped downward, eyes focused on Pikachu, and fired another beam of light from his mouth. In response, the Electric-Type shouted, running in the air at his opponent, encased in his own energy.

" _This is insane!"_ Pikachu exclaimed, forcing his way through Dragonite's Hyper Beam. The attack split cleanly in half, but the explosion that commenced blinded the Electric-Type, scorching his fur and making him lose sight of the opponent's position.

"Twenty degrees up!" Ash instructed. If he took account of the position of the glare, Lance wouldn't be able to react if the Volt Tackle hit in three, two, one…

"Now!"

"Hyper Beam, Dragonite!"

* * *

Pikachu dragged himself out of the vicinity of the explosion, coughing and shaking slightly from the poison coursing through his body. The Hyper Beam did less damage than the Electric-Type had expected but still was able to blast him backward. Fortunately, Volt Tackle had also hit its mark in the Dragon-Type's stomach.

" _Survived a Hyper Beam,"_ Greninja remarked casually. " _Impressive."_

"Why don't you sit down?" Ash asked, turning to the Water and Dark-Type. "Your legs are shaking."

"Dragon Dance," Lance called out. "Then Hyper Beam, again!"

The Ninja Pokemon took a seat on the floor next to his Trainer. " _How does Dragonite still have the energy to use Hyper Beam?"_

"Dunno," Ash answered. "He's just strong."

Greninja's eyes lit up, finding his answer, before sighing and looking up at the teen whose eyes were focused on the battle. " _You've never seen an Ether or Elixir before, have you?"_

"What?"

" _Nevermind."_

As Dragonite finished charging his attack, Pikachu had managed to gather enough energy to stand up sturdily, facing his opponent with defiant eyes.

"Now!"

"Volt Tackle! Now...Counter Shield, with Thunderbolt!"'

* * *

Pikachu bounced off Dragonite's chest with Volt Tackle, dropping to the ground and immediately spun on his back, creating a wall of electricity that sent arcs of lightning at the sky. A few bolts of energy hit the Dragon Pokemon as he dived down to attack, slamming his tail to the ground in a powerful Earthquake. At the sound of his Trainer's call, Pikachu jumped up immediately to use Magnet Rise once more but faltered in order to dodge another Hyper Beam. His side collided with the ground just as Earthquake was at its peak, feeling the full force of the super-effective move.

"Uh, sorry!" Ash apologized frantically, feeling the weight of the battle on his shoulders. If Pikachu didn't win this, the battle would be over.

" _You made him take an Earthquake_ _and_ _a Hyper Beam,"_ Greninja remarked, staring at the cloud of smoke that shrouded the battlefield, arising from the explosion that commenced from the Electric-Type's retaliation.

"Yes, I did."

" _And a Toxic."_

"What are you trying to point out?" Ash asked.

The Ninja Pokemon didn't reply. He was too busy staring at the impossible

As the battlefield became clear, it seemed that both Pokemon were still standing, although it was clear that they were on the edge of collapsing. It had become a contest of willpower: Dragonite vs. Pikachu.

" _Give up, meatloaf,"_ Ash's Starter shouted, clenching his teeth in order to keep himself awake.

"I'll never fall, rodent," his opponent answered, growling.

"Pikachu, do it!" the challenger shouted.

" _Don't you dare give up,"_ Greninja joined in.

Gallade Teleported in. " _Ditto,"_ he agreed. " _My boy Charizard'll have a fit if you lose."_

Pikachu dropped to the ground.

Dragonite visibly relaxed.

And a powerful Shock Wave lit up the stadium.

* * *

 **So...I'm done. This was easily my longest chapter yet - by like, two thousand words - even though I only went through four battles (Aerodactyl, Druddigon, Hydreigon, and Dragonite). Well, more like three and a half, since Aerodactyl made a reappearance, but y'know...**

 **Yeah.**

 **I'm honestly really proud of this chapter. It was tiring, but I really enjoyed reading through it and remembering all the suffering I went through (not really) to write such a long piece of work.**

 **Anyway, there's still a poll and stuff, so you can go check that out. And I still need a cover, so yeah.**

 **And here's a bonus scene below!**

* * *

"Shock Wave is a move that naturally hits the opponent," Clemont noted, watching Dragonite slowly collapse onto the unwelcoming, hard ground. A referee in the middle of the field raised a flag in the challenger's direction, proclaiming Pikachu to be the winner of the match.

Gary nodded. "That was the reason Ash won."

The Lumiose Gym Leader watched, impressed, as his friend walked to the battlefield to pick up his exhausted Pikachu, thanking the Electric-Type for a well-fought battle.

So _this_ was how a Champion battled.


	33. Chapter 33

**This chapter was hard to write (I really don't know why). There was also a bit of chaos regarding everything going on in life.**

 **I also tend to be a bit dramatic and depressing before my birthday and ecstatic and happy-go-lucky in the days following it.**

 **(In other words, sorry for the three-week long break.)**

 **Whew. If you're reading this, friends, thank you for that 'surprise' party. I named the Umbreon plushie you guys gave me "Kira" because Light Yagami.**

 **Okay. Enough of personal stuff.**

 **I finally have a cover page. Special thanks goes to Lillian Smith for it. Very nice, huh? I agree.**

 _ **Okay, comment time!**_

 **Guest: Yep. I'll try. Stay tuned!**

 **Lectori Salutem: If Ash didn't win, I'd be disappointed, to be honest. We all knew it would happen, but it's just fun to see the process, right? I really tried to make these battles interesting. Thank you.**

 **Nam Chu: Uh, sorry? You'll have to live with it for a bit, I guess. My writing style is built off of cliff-hangers. :P**

 **Yami-chan and the Unrealistic: Ash losing...yeah. I'd be so sad. (Like I was when he lost the Kalos League.) And I'm pretty sure Ash has broken the fourth wall before, right? Eh, I don't remember. I like how you mentioned Team Rocket when they actually aren't anywhere in this fanfic. Just saying. You wanna know why? Haha. Nope. (Misty is still awesome, though.) And you're right. Ash is no longer a bum...maybe.**

 **ultimateCCC: I think Serena would be more embarrassed than anything, haha. There's a good fanfic by Tarem (I think that's his/her pen name) that addresses this.**

 **mountainelements: Psh. Even _I_ cheated when I battled Blue in FireRed. His Blastoise kept wrecking my team. (Hey, I was young back then. My training skills have definitely improved...maybe.) As for those strategies, I sorta got the idea from Volt Crash in Ashes of the Past, but I made it something that Ash would come up with from his past strategies. I almost didn't put in the bonus scene, by the way.**

 **ElectraX12: Dude. As I stated before, I almost didn't put it in. It's okay, though. I like to keep the readers at the edge of their seats.**

 **bladetri: xD like**

 **narutoDkurosaki: Ash...is just unwilling to accept that a cool, good-natured guy like Alain cheated with a powered Mega Ring or something like that. As for everything else, he just didn't notice it. Gary already told him that the Elite Four uses Full Restores, so he knew.**

 **Noxlux013: I'm glad you enjoyed it. When I was writing that Kukui scene, I was smirking internally. Jeez. Everything would've changed if he'd just turned on the TV...**

 **AgitatedDog9288: It _has_ been a great journey. But it's not over yet! I have the arc planned in my head (it's going to be coooool) and am still going!**

 **Lillian Smith: Thank you again for the cover picture. It took way too long, but I enjoyed writing it.**

 **imnotraven16: Thanks. Hope you enjoy this one even though it isn't as fast-paced.**

 **multyfangirl19: Me and my cliff-hangers, right? Ha. Happens all the time...**

 **megacharizat: I'm glad you like it. The 'how old is Ash' gag is something that'll be revealed in time...maybe.**

 **VeronMic: Thank you. It's been fun writing it. And as for the fan comic...that's a very good idea.**

 **salasdaniel74: Yes. Good answer. Sure. (As for your question,) I'd say, yes. In my original draft, there were definitely characters from elsewhere. In a separate thing, Black (from the manga) was a main character, although I'm not sure I want to go down that arc anymore, especially with the manga updating more, now. And dead year is Junior year of high school...yeah.**

 **Anak: Gracias. Enjoy!**

* * *

" _What?!"_ Daro (the Tauros) yelled, startling the little Pidgey he was talking to.

" _Stop being so mean!"_ Pidgeot reprimanded her teammate, slapping his back lightly with a wing.

The flock of Flying-Types had gathered at the mouth of the cave system on Mt. Silver and were bidding farewell to the group of travellers.

" _I'm sorry,"_ the Wild Bull Pokemon apologized, bowing his head. " _But what did you say, again?"_

" _There are giant machines in Route 1, sir,"_ the Tiny Bird Pokemon replied, shivering a little _. "That's why we left."_

Infernape turned around at the sound of Pidgey's response. " _Wait. I need you to describe them,"_ he spoke up, crouching down to get a better look at the hatchling.

" _Um, they were big, gray, and had red markings on them…and, and, and…uh, they were coming from the city!"_

Pidgeot narrowed her eyes. " _That seems like a problem,"_ she muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Torterra turned to the Normal and Flying-Type, addressing her. " _Didn't you know what was going on?"_

" _I arrived at the peak a few hours before you all did,"_ Pidgeot explained. " _Most of that time was spent battling Moltres."_

Noivern's eyes widened. " _You battled Moltres?!"_ he asked. " _So cool!"_

Hawlucha reached up to tap his teammate's wing. " _Remember, Talonflame did too."_

" _Oh. Right. But still!"_

Daro huffed. " _Back on topic, please."_

" _That's right,"_ Infernape agreed. " _Machines on Route 1…that's trouble."_

" _Make it double,"_ Pidgeot whispered, snickering before a glare from Daro brought her back to her usual, dignified stature.

" _But Pidgeot's correct, in a sense,"_ Torterra spoke up. " _Team Rocket has their sights on Pallet Town."_

* * *

Swellow landed in the corral, huffing as he rested in the branch of a low-hanging tree.

He certainly didn't expect Bulbasaur to be there as well, using his vines as binoculars to scout something far away.

" _Hi,"_ the Seed Pokemon greeted him, his voice barely above a whisper. Noctowl, who spotted his fellow Flying-Type, waved as well with a sagely nod.

" _What's going on?"_ the Swallow Pokemon asked. " _Why are you in a tree?"_

Bulbasaur immediately narrowed his eyes. " _Shhh!"_

Swellow brought his voice down to a whisper. "Oh. sorry."

" _Hello,"_ Leavanny spoke up, startling the Normal and Flying-Type. " _We're hiding."_

Swellow turned around to see the Nurturing Pokemon waving at him from a branch behind him. Said Bug and Grass-Type was sewing something out of a pile of leaves.

" _Would you like a blanket?"_ the Unovian Pokemon asked.

" _I'm good."_

" _We've spotted Team Rocket's machines,"_ Bulbasaur explained. " _That's why everyone's in hiding."_

Oh. Now that he was thinking about it, the corral seemed much quieter than usual. Quilava would usually be chasing Buizel around, threatening to blow him up. Snivy (Servine, now) would be dragging Oshawott away from every female Pokemon he saw. Bulbasaur would be yelling at everyone, and Heracross would be chasing him.

Swellow suddenly missed seeing his teammates laze around at the ranch.

" _Wait,"_ he spoke up, addressing the other Pokemon in the tree, " _has anyone told Ash about this yet?"_

The Grass and Poison-Type groaned, turning his back away from everyone with a look of shame.

" _I presume not. Do you want me to tell him?"_ Swellow asked. " _I'm the fastest."_

The Seed Pokemon nodded. " _You should do that."_

" _Where is he?"_

" _Challenging the Elite Four. Uh, it should be over by now. I think. Maybe. I hope."_

" _Cool."_

With a quick flap of his wings, Swellow had disappeared. Only a gust of wind was left behind as the Normal and Flying-Type flew off.

* * *

Infernape panted as his team raced down the mountain, disregarding the various scratches and blisters that seemed to mysteriously appear as the Fire and Fighting-Type led the group, using Flame Charge to boost his speed. Behind him, Hawlucha and Noivern had tucked their wings in, diving down until their figures were just a little more than a blur. Daro had used Rock Slide and was riding on one of the stone boulders he'd summoned.

At the rear, the Flame Pokemon could just barely see the form of his teammate, Torterra, who was using Rock Climb to propel himself down to catch up with everyone else.

" _Hurry, guys!"_ he called out.

" _That's right,"_ Daro agreed, grunting as his boulder hit a particularly large chunk of ice, sending the Wild Bull Pokemon into the air.

" _Don't you know Surf?"_ Torterra asked, running alongside his Normal-Type teammate as Noivern sped past them. Hawlucha followed, laughing boldly as he did so.

The group's mood seemed to lighten up as Daro's hooves began to spew water, pushing the Tauros into the air and starting a makeshift waterslide. Torterra used the slippery, recently frozen ice to speed himself up and enjoy the trail of water left behind by his leader's Flame Charge.

" _It's time to see Ash!"_ he proclaimed.

Cheers reverberated throughout the mountaintops.

* * *

 _I'm hungry._

That was Ash's first thought as Dragonite collapsed.

It wasn't a very triumphant or victorious though.

Just the truth.

He hadn't eaten in the past...eight hours, was it? That seemed about right. The Elite Four challenge had pushed the teen to his limits. He was sure that he'd fall down if he even took a mere step forward.

The Trainer felt his Greninja's concern welling up from within. Even though the Ninja Pokemon was exhausted, Gallade had brought him an Oran Berry or two to eat earlier. It was a miracle that Ash was still standing.

With a huff, the Water and Dark-Type supported his Trainer by the shoulders, carefully resting the teen's weight upon himself as Ash's legs crumpled underneath himself, unable to support him anymore.

"Thanks, Greninja," he heard his Trainer's tired voice amongst the deafening crowd. The teen was smiling. Not in an arrogant or prideful way, but with pure gratitude, as if he'd forgotten about winning against Lance. Pikachu looked up at the two, shaking his head.

" _Get up, idiot,"_ the Electric-Type joked.

Now that he thought about it, the teen realized that his Starter's 'Pikapi' might have been 'idiot' and 'Ash,' interchangeably. Probably mostly the former, though.

"Shut up," he responded.

Gallade Teleported onto the field, bringing the rest of the team along with him. At the sight of the roaring crowd, he waved and bowed, transforming into Gardevoir in a flash of light.

" _You're such a show-off,"_ Charizard remarked, earning a light jab in the side from his Grass-Type teammate.

" _You'd do the same if Charla was sitting up there, watching you,"_ Sceptile quipped _. "Oh wait…"_

At his friend's panicked expression, Garchomp put an arm around the Fire and Flying-Type. " _Think about it. Will she scold you for getting hurt or slap you for attracting fangirls?"_

" _Uh…"_

" _Both, probably. Am I right?"_

Vivi yawned, stretching her body as she did so _. "Did I miss anything?"_ she asked, turning into Sylveon and using her ribbon feelers to block her ears from the thundering noise.

" _No,"_ Garchomp immediately answered, glaring at anyone who tried to become a bad influence for the young Fairy-Type.

" _Okay! I'm glad!"_

Ash smiled at his Pokemon. It was a rare sight: the Trainer hadn't physically battled, yet it was _him_ who felt as if his body had refused to respond.

Charizard picked up the young teen gingerly like he was cradling a hatchling. " _You okay, there?"_ he asked.

" _I feel like I got hit by the Tauros herd,"_ Ash responded groggily.

" _Gallade knows Heal Pulse,"_ Vivi volunteered her teammate, walking up to her Trainer. Next to her, the Psychic and Fighting-Type had stopped his fanservice and had rushed up to the teen. He promptly turned into Gardevoir, placed his hands on Ash's left arm, and used the Psychic-Type move. Everyone on the team immediately seemed to relax, feeling their vitality renewed exponentially.

Except Greninja, of course, but the Water and Dark-Type didn't seem to care much for it.

Ash lifted his head, feeling his neck pop with a satisfying sound. Lance was slowly approaching the group.

" _You should go,"_ Pikachu spoke up, silently giving Charizard an expectant look. The Fire and Flying-Type nodded, putting the Trainer down.

Ash stumbled a little as he supported his own weight. Vivi had to help, grabbing his wrist with a ribbon and bolstering the Trainer as he tripped and stumbled to meet the Dragon Master.

* * *

Alain stared down the forest path with weary eyes. He honestly wanted to watch TV, but Mairin was dragging him along for the trip and the teen couldn't really disappoint her.

The Trainer hoped he wasn't missing anything important.

* * *

Ash met the man in the middle of the torn, broken field. Scorch marks and mud littered the floor, but the Trainer didn't care much for it. Next to him, a smiling Sylveon guided the teen as if he was one of the elderly. On his other side, Pikachu trotted up to the Dragon-Type user before sitting down next to his Trainer.

"Congrats," Lance spoke up, holding out a hand amicably. Ash took it, and the two shook.

"It was a great battle," the teen replied, bowing slightly in respect. Sceptile had lectured him on the subject earlier: people would begin to look up to him. He'd have to start acting mature...or something like that.

Lance chuckled, crossing his arms and surveying the field. The sun cast long shadows as it began to set into the distance.

"I think we have a new Champion," he spoke up. "What do you say?"

"Aren't I a little young?" Ash asked.

"Hm." The Dragon Master stroked his chin. "You're ten, right?"

Ash stared. "What?" he asked, unsure whether he heard the man correctly. Next to him, Pikachu began to snicker in a very unsubtle way.

"You're _definitely_ younger than I was. Actually, you're probably the youngest in a long time, but I don't really know the details."

Lance laughed good-naturedly, patting the teen on the shoulder. "I think you have an interview or five to get to. Am I right?"

As if she was cued, Reporter Sandy Spinner walked up to the two, smiling brilliantly. Ash could feel a sense of dread welling up in his stomach.

* * *

As the kid was dragged away, Lance looked behind him, seeing the rest of the Elite Four join him on the field.

"He battled well," Bruno spoke up, chuckling to himself. "I almost believed you won when his Pikachu supposedly fainted."

Lorelei shook her head. "I'm more interested in the fact that he didn't give a single verbal command until he battled _you_."

Agatha leaned on her staff, smiling slightly. "I'm just glad that the youngster wasn't that Oak spawn. _That_ would've been embarrassing."

"He's a nice kid. Helped me stop Team Aqua and Magma back in Hoenn," Lance remarked, watching the teen disappear from view. "And his Pokemon are exceptionally strong. That blue one was something else."

"I searched it up," the Ice-Type Trainer replied. "It's a Greninja. Those are native to the Kalos Region, where Diantha is from."

"Ah."

"His Gallade and Eeveelutions are great strategies," Agatha added on. "I wonder where he got them."

Bruno shrugged. "I liked his Pikachu."

The crowd started to disperse as they realized that the young challenger wasn't coming back. People lined up, heading for the exits at the sides of the stadium. As the Dragon Master watched them leave, the realization that the Kanto Region was going to see some changes finally dawned on him.

"Now we can _actually_ be a region with an Elite Four and a Champion. Lance won't have to play two roles from now on," Lorelei spoke up, looking around the ruined battlefield with a content look. "Isn't that nice?"

"I think he was pretty happy with that Champion title," Bruno teased, then followed his coworker's gaze. "The kid's grown, you know."

"I agree," Agatha added, fingering her Key Stone. "That Pikachu is something else."

* * *

The man behind the video camera held a thumbs up, smiling reassuringly at everyone in the room.

"What's your name?" Sandy Spinner asked a slightly disoriented Kanto Champion. After being chased by five other people carrying microphones and cameras, he had been led to a secluded room where he had finally been able to calm himself down. It was more or less a broom closet.

"Uh, I thought you already knew it."

"This is an official interview, thank you very much," the Reporter replied, looking a little miffed. The Trainer was reminded that the woman was a bit passionate about her job.

"Well then. I'm Ash." It took some effort to leave out the 'Ketchum from Pallet Town' part, but Sceptile had taught him to 'answer the question and _nothing else_ ' in interviews.

Ms. Spinner took out a notepad from one of the pockets of her skirt, jotting something down with a pencil. With her other hand, she moved her microphone closer to herself. "How do you think your battles went?"

"I felt like everyone on the team did their absolute best," the Trainer replied. "We all worked hard to get here."

"I see." Ms. Spinner's gaze fell upon the yellow Electric-Type who had poked his head out of the messenger bag his Trainer carried. "Is Pikachu your Starter?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ash answered with a small shrug, letting the Electric-Type climb out of his messenger bag and onto his shoulder.

"And you _do_ come from Kanto, right?"

"Yup."

"If I have my facts right, you won the Indigo League a few years ago. Your team in the finals was," she looked at her notepad, "Pikachu, Glalie, Heracross, Sceptile, Infernape, and Buizel."

Ash nodded. "I'm surprised that anyone actually remembers. It was really anticlimactic."

"I see. How did you come up with your strategies? Some of your moves must've taken a bit of trust, especially since you didn't call out any moves."

"Mhm. There's not much to it, actually. A bond with your Pokemon is the best strategy there is."

* * *

Ash didn't remember how long he'd been in the broom closet. The cameraman and reporter gave no indication that their questions had an end. His sense of dread only intensified with every flip of the woman's notepad.

"And where did you get your Pokemon?" she inquired, staring into the Trainer's eyes with a deep interest.

"Uh…"

At that moment, Gallade Teleported into the cramped room with the rest of the team. Fortunately, the broom closet was able to fit everyone even though they were leaning against each other in uncomfortable positions. Vivi transformed into Eevee and jumped onto Garchomp's head. At the sight of his Trainer, Charizard used Flamethrower to singe his Trainer's hair, leaving a burn mark in the wall and almost causing a fire.

" _Hi, Ash,"_ Sceptile greeted the teen. " _Hey, Pikachu."_

" _Go away."_

"Hi," the Trainer responded, glancing at the reporter nervously. "How did you guys know I'm here?"

" _Intuition,"_ Gallade responded, using Telepathy so Ms. Spinner could understand. " _I'm a perfectly intelligent being."_

"You're also interrupting an important interview," the reporter spoke up, annoyed.

"My bad," Ash apologized. "What was the question, again?"

"Where did you get your Pokemon?"

"Oh. I got Pikachu from Professor Oak as a Starter Pokemon," the teen explained. "Charizard was abandoned by his former Trainer and I happened to stumble across him during my first run through Kanto. Sceptile was a wild Pokemon in Hoenn and I got Garchomp in Sinnoh. He followed me around the region a bit before I finally caught him, though. Greninja…he kinda rolled his Pokeball toward me and told me to catch him when I first arrived in Kalos. Of course, this was when they were still in their pre-evolved forms."

"And your other two?"

"I got my Eevee in Johto," Ash pondered aloud, "and Gallade is definitely from—"

" _I'm from Unova,"_ the Blade Pokemon interrupted, leaning against a wall next to his Trainer.

"Wait, really?" the teen asked.

The Electric-Type on the Kanto Champion's shoulder tilted his head at his teammate. " _You said you were from—"_

"Shush, Pikachu," Ash whispered to his Starter when he realized that Gallade was trying to draw attention away from his region.

"Right," Sandy commented, taking notes. "So you're well-versed in many regions."

"Yep."

"Do you plan on travelling anywhere else?" the reporter questioned.

Ash took off his hat, placing it on his Starter's head, and ran a hand through his hair. "To be honest, I haven't thought about it. Maybe I'd like to go to some faraway region where no one will recognize me, but I have plans here as well—for the betterment of Kanto, of course. It depends."

" _You're just saying that. We all know you're going to take me to another region,"_ Pikachu remarked. " _By now, we've all gotten used to your 'I need a vacation' grumbling."_

" _Will you take_ _me_ _?"_ Vivi asked, suddenly excited.

Garchomp shook his head. " _He's never done that before. But in_ _my_ _opinion, we should all get another region since Charizard was used in five—six if you count the Battle Frontier—and Sceptile in two."_

Said Fire and Flying-Type huffed. " _First of all, the Orange and Decolore Islands don't count as a region and going through Kanto a second time isn't really—"_

Sceptile interrupted. " _I literally had one battle in Sinnoh. Why isn't anyone complaining about Pikachu?"_

" _I'm special,"_ the Electric-Type announced.

Greninja tried to hide a snicker, retaining his stoic look in a split second. " _Special enough to lose to Trip's Snivy in the—"_

" _How do_ _you_ _know about that?"_

" _Ash and I are one."_

" _You can look through his memories?!"_ Gallade asked. " _I'm starting a book on Ash's crossdressing tendencies. Can you provide me with my blackmail material—ahem—resources so I can sell the book to Gary when he—"_

"Please no," the Trainer groaned aloud.

" _I'm neither confirming nor denying anything,"_ Greninja responded, crossing his arms.

"Uh…"

The reporter was confused as to why the teen's Pokemon had suddenly crowded around their Trainer, shouting at each other.

"Sorry Ms. Spinner," the teen apologized sheepishly, "I don't know what's going on, either."

" _You're just saying that because the press is here,"_ Charizard argued. " _Back me up, Trainer!"_

* * *

Dawn stood outside the stadium, watching as May dragged Serena to an open-air stand that was selling some kind of meat on a stick. Next to the Sinnoh Region Coordinator, Iris was leading Axew around, marvelling at every sign of movement around the area. The colorful shops that lined the road to the stadium were crowded with people and Pokemon who were playing arcade games and buying unhealthy food.

"Is Ash out yet?" she asked the Dragon-Type Trainer, who was trying restrain her Gible from chomping on a lamppost.

"Nah. The kid's probably screaming his head off somewhere. What an idiot."

Dawn didn't know how to respond to that.

* * *

Ash spent the rest of the afternoon running from people. With his newfound popularity, he'd instantly gained a bunch of fans that had begun a scavenger hunt to find him and his team. It was a bit of a mission for the new Champion of Kanto: find Lance and get away from everyone else.

It didn't help that there were newspeople running around with cameras and microphones that were beginning to get on the Trainer's nerves.

Gallade had gone missing—the teen suspected that his Psychic and Fighting-Type had gone off to sign autographs and take pictures—so his source of instant transportation was gone.

Maybe Gary would agree to teleport him instead.

But then again, that chance was too slim to be significant. The Gym Leader liked to see his friend suffer.

Ash looked up at the sky, seeing people come and go on the backs of their Pokemon. Would he get chased down if he was in the air? Was Charizard fast enough to avoid everyone? Or would Garchomp be a better choice?

Either way, there was a mob of people coming after him, and the teen needed to decide quickly.

"Charizard!" he called out, taking a Pokeball from his belt and throwing it lightly. The Fire and Flying-Type appeared in a flash of light, scorching his Trainer in a Flamethrower before actually bothering to look around.

" _What's up?"_ he asked.

"Publicity," Ash replied. "Please help me find Lance."

" _Nah."_

"Fine. I'll ask Garchomp, instead."

As the Trainer put his hands on his hips with an expectant look, a group of teenage girls rounded the corner of a building and found the park Ash and Charizard were in.

"Ah! It's the Champion!" one of them shouted. "He looks so much better up close!"

"Is that his Charizard?" another asked. "Such bulging muscles…and what a hot figure!"

The Flame Pokemon sighed, looking clearly disturbed. " _Alright. Jump on, Trainer."_

* * *

"You're hopeless, y'know?" Charizard asked, flapping his wings to gain a bit of altitude.

Pikachu peeked out of the messenger bag. "I thought we knew that, already."

Ash sighed, looking behind him. His hat had fallen off in the midst of his steep ascension into the cover of the clouds. It was probably a lost cause getting it back.

A trail of flying Pokemon had begun to follow him. On the back of an Altaria, two girls were fervently chasing after him. Behind them, another group was catching up on various Pidgeot, Noctowl, and Fearow.

"Faster, Charizard," Ash urged his Fire and Flying-Type.

" _I'm still tired, y'know? We haven't gone to the Pokemon Center to heal up. Plus, when's that award ceremony?"_

"I think it's in a few days or something when they officially announce it. They have to go through my criminal record and everything."

" _That's depressing."_

" _So are_ _you_ _,"_ Pikachu quipped, smirking.

" _I'm going to throw you off,"_ the Flame Pokemon muttered.

The Trainer and his two Pokemon continued to outmaneuver their new fanbase and ended up on the roof of a large building.

"We need to find Lance as soon as possible," Ash decided. "There are things I have to ask him about."

* * *

The trio walked down the streets, looking for the fancy hotel that the Elite Four, Gym Leaders, and other people of note would usually stay in. Most of the people at the Indigo Plateau were at the other side of the city for an evening event, so Ash and his team were taking the time to scour the area.

" _We should get to a Pokemon Center,"_ Charizard suggested.

" _But people are going to be there,"_ Pikachu replied. " _The publicity we're getting is terrible."_

Gallade Teleported in, spinning in the air before landing with a frontflip. " _Speak for yourselves. I just got an offer for a fashion magazine."_

" _You gonna take it?"_ the Fire and Flying-Type asked, not even fazed at the sight of his teammate.

" _Aye, good sir. I wilt contribute to Ash's college fund."_

"I'm going to college?!" the teen asked, surprised. "Who said that?"

" _Sceptile,"_ Gallade answered. " _The gent wanteth thee to wend to Castelia."_

"Well, there's no use in arguing against him…"

Pikachu jumped off his Trainer's shoulder, landing next to the Psychic and Fighting-Type. " _If you make enough money, you could take us all on a tropical vacation."_

" _Concurred,"_ the Blade Pokemon agreed, nodding his head.

" _We can buy a giant mansion to train in,"_ Charizard suggested.

"You'd break that thing," Ash spoke up, shaking his head. "Plus, if we really want to do that, all of _you_ would need to get jobs, too."

" _Nah,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type replied, " _We're good."_

* * *

Misty walked around the plaza, followed by Brock.

"Where is he?" the Water-Type Trainer asked, annoyed. "He can't just disappear like that, even if he's the Champion, now!"

"He does it on a regular basis, anyway," the Pokemon Doctor-in-training replied, shrugging. "He'll show up, sooner or later. But for now, why don't we go find May? I saw her, earlier, but I don't know where she went."

* * *

Gary couldn't believe it.

The small, mouse-like Pokemon poked his head out of the young girl's yellow handbag. He'd never seen a Pokemon like it before.

Clemont was quick to explain. "Uh, this is my sister, Bonnie," he introduced. "And that's Dedenne, a Kalosian Pokemon."

The lemon-haired girl waved at the Researcher with an energetic grin and hand. Dedenne echoed her enthusiasm.

"Nene nene ne!"

Even without his magical Poke-translator, Gary was sure that the Antenna Pokemon was shouting out an amicable greeting.

Clemont gestured to the Gym Leader, facing his sister as he did so.

"This is Gary. He came from Pallet Town, just like Ash."

Bonnie's eyes widened in amazement. She spread her hands out, barely containing her excitement. "That's so cool!" she marvelled. "You like, grew up with him! When I grow up, I want to be a Trainer just like Ash!"

The Viridian City Gym Leader almost choked, disguising it as a cough. "You want to be like Ash?" he asked in a voice that was laced with a hint of disbelief and amusement. "That's great. I'd say that you just need willpower, strategy, and a bond with your Pokemon to reach the level that doofus is at."

"Gary Oak's the Viridian City Gym Leader," Clemont explained. "He's also a well-known Pokemon Researcher that has accompanied Ash a little throughout his journey."

Bonnie turned around, looking into the Kantonian's eyes. "Wow!" she exclaimed.

"Ha, it's no big deal," Gary replied. "I was Ash's rival for a while, too. The only time he beat me back then was at the League."

"Isn't that the only battle that actually matters, though?" the young girl asked.

Ouch. Gary would need a Burn Heal for that.

* * *

Swellow finally found him running down the street from a mob of teenage girls.

Truthfully, the Normal and Flying-Type didn't expect his Trainer to be _this_ popular. He must've won against Lance or something. Bulbasaur mentioned something about that.

The Champion of Kanto took out a Pokeball and threw it in front of him. A Garchomp appeared, gazing around with a confused look as his ball expertly spun back to the Trainer, who caught it in one hand and used the other to propel himself onto the back of the Ground and Dragon-Type.

Honestly, the teen stood out. Mostly because he was the only Human Swellow knew that had such a distinct, messy hairstyle.

With a quick flap of his wings, the Swallow Pokemon readied himself and sped forward, catching up with his Trainer.

* * *

" _Hey,"_ a voice called out. Ash, who was tightly holding onto the back of his Garchomp, barely heard it.

" _Sorry,"_ Pikachu spoke up in a sarcastic tone, " _we're not accepting autographs. Come again when it's important."_

" _Autograph my Thunder Armor!"_ Swellow huffed, speeding up so that he flew aside the Mach Pokemon.

"Hi, Swellow," his Trainer greeted him.

" _Hey,"_ Garchomp echoed. " _Uh, I'm actually Gible, but evolved."_

" _I can see that. You've matured."_

The Ground and Dragon-Type seemed slightly miffed at that comment, even as he was flying at high speeds through the air.

Pikachu looked behind him, and Swellow's gaze followed, seeing a mass of Flying-Types (and similar) trailing behind the Champion and his group of Pokemon.

" _You're famous, Ash,"_ the Normal-Type complimented his Trainer.

"Thanks. You too."

" _By the way,"_ Garchomp spoke up, " _why are you here? I thought you were up at Mt. Silver."_

" _Oh, I was. I'm here to report on that, actually."_

"Go ahead."

" _Alright. It took a while to get up there, but we made it nonetheless. But we didn't find Team Rocket up there. Infernape and the gang stayed and explored a bit, but they should be down here soon,"_ the Swallow Pokemon explained. " _But there's something else. You guys need to get to the corral quickly."_

" _Why?"_ Pikachu asked.

" _They've spotted Team Rocket's machines on Route 1. Bulbasaur is certain that they're targeting Pallet Town."_

* * *

 **Done. Although that chapter was pretty short and sweet compared to the previous ones, I hope you enjoyed it. (Ok, those were battles. They tend to take up a lot of space.)**

 **Ah. Just a quick question, but what Trainer Rank are you on Magikarp Jump? I'm at 53. Yes, I know I'm kinda obsessed. You don't have to tell me.**

 **By the way, this is like my second hour of Pokemon XYZ background music. In other words, it's 2 in the morning. So...sorry for the grammar mistakes. I didn't really check my work, this time.**

 **Oh. Another thing. If you look carefully at past chapters, Pidgeot left the group sometime close to when Ash went to storm Rocket Headquarters (I'm not going to check, to be honest). Coincidence?**

 **Anyway, good night (morning, afternoon, evening, whenever you read this). I need to be awake in like, six hours.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Long time no see.**

 **As you may have noticed, I haven't updated in quite some time.**

 **This trend will continue. Expect the next chapter to come out in November or something.**

 **And this will be because I'm going through a very tough year of school. It won't be like last year where I was able to sacrifice a bit of sleep and grades. Nah, every minute counts, and I'm fighting time like there's no tomorrow.**

 **No, EOTR is not on hiatus or anything. I'm still writing when I get the chance. But if it's June and I still haven't updated, you can assume that the story is discontinued for some reason or another.**

 **Sorry for such sad news, but school is always first. In the meantime, enjoy stories like "Ashes of the Past," "Meanwhile," and "Denounce the Evils." I haven't kept up with them recently, but I'm sure that they're still works of art.**

 **Ash-in the story, that is-still not where I feel like he is in the Sun and Moon series, and I plan to change that. In other words, the story will continue.**

 **By the way, you may or may not want to read some of the previous chapters to remember why things are as they are now. Just a tip!**

 **Has anyone watched the latest Pokemon episodes? Three words: Misty and Brock! (I loved Ash's battle. Have you realized that he hasn't officially lost to anyone yet in Sun and Moon? And no, Team Rocket doesn't count.)**

 **Anyway, it's time for the reviews:**

 **ElectraX12: Sorry for the long wait. Here it is!**

 **AgitatedDog9288: I stopped playing Magikarp Jump when I realized that it was too time-consuming for me. And I'll keep your request in mind. Note to self: make Ash's fans love him.**

 **stardust902: Well, you'll be left with a worse cliffhanger this tim-did I say anything? Whoops.**

 **Design Moon God: Thanks for reading this far! Cliffhangers are like, my thing. It makes me motivated to write more. Plus, it get's the follows...just kidding. I hope you enjoy, and thanks. I'm glad you like my sense of humor.**

 **Lianne: Thank you so much! Uh, sorry for leaving you hanging for such a long time. Hope this chapter makes up for it!**

 **Noxlux013: Well, now that image is stuck in my head as well. (That'd be a really cool scene.) Hope you enjoy this next chapter! It was meant to confuse you. Maybe. We'll see. Ha, now you want to read, don't you? Alright, maybe not. I'll let you decide...**

 **ultimateCCC: We'll see. We'll see. Maybe. I haven't really decided. Or maybe I have but just don't want to give it away.**

 **Lectori Salutem: Thanks! I loved writing that chapter. Bonnie's little moment was perhaps one of my favorites, but it's overshadowed by Kukui. That man can be funny, sometimes, with his usually upbeat (and maybe a little kiddish) personality. And as for the Pokemon personalities, I tried. Like, a lot. It's already hard enough to characterize Ash (his personality changes so much), but his Pokemon are way more difficult. The Fire-Types, for example, all follow the same template. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Rosie Vulpes: Thanks for reading! And yes, Bonnie's a savage (and so was Ash back when Misty and Brock were around...not the Sun and Moon episodes, but seasons 1-5, I mean). "Only one of us can hallucinate at a time." Hah! That was gold.**

 **bladetri: :)))))**

 **Yami-chan and Unrealistic: 'Those who are not in this fic?' Who do you mean? I haven't left out anyone...heh heh. It's funny 'cause the name of this story is "The End of Team Rocket" and yet, a few certain people are just...not here. Ash will always be Ash and food will always be food. It's great. And "Pikapi," although it means "Satoshi," makes more sense as "idiot" than "Ash," most of the time. And yeah, Pallet Town was screwed from chapter 1.**

 **The Dimensional Reader: Thanks for reading! Sorry for the long wait, but here's the next chapter!**

 **jakeroo123: Yeah, Kanto has a lot of gyms, but there's a slight incongruity in that statement. In SM43, Ash states that he collected "all eight Kanto Gym Badges." Because Gary Oak had 10, I assumed that some of the Badges he received were from unofficial Gyms like one from like, episode 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 of the original series, Yas, Kaz, and the one that Primape got left behind at. There may have also been more in the past, but as of the Sun and Moon series, there are eight. The Poison-Type Gym Leader in Unova might've had a Gym in Kanto in the past as well, but it's gone now. Maybe. As for that log he threw...sure, let's go with that, but he carried that thing for like, hours on end and didn't break a sweat. You gotta attribute that to something. And as for that last thing...Ash already beat the Indigo League, as stated in Chapter 1. He also went head-to-head pretty well with a Pokemon that had been training for less than a year. Now with his powerhouse team, there's a lot he can do. And the Elite Four had better teams than they ever did in the games, so it wasn't _that_ easy, was it? (I had a lot of fun with writing that. Pokemon theories and world-building are some of my favorite things to discuss. Wow. I feel so nerdy.)**

 **Lillian Smith: Sorry for not replying to you. I'll keep trying if you like, but...well, it's up to you, I guess?**

* * *

A new era was rising over Kanto.

To the residents cheering in front of the TV to those at work in the offices and fields, the sheer apprehension of the new Champion was close to unbearable.

How would Kanto fare under the leadership of a someone so young?

What would happen to the economy?

Would relations with other regions finally come to a peaceful conclusion?

The answer would hide in a certain young Trainer with an indomitable passion for battle.

* * *

"It seems like we have a new Champion," a man in black business suit remarked casually to himself. In front of him, a monitor showed a large, powerful Dragonite collapsed in front of the most common face in Kanto (besides Rattata or Zubat, of course).

As the video clip continued, the boy on screen shook hands with the esteemed Dragon Master, smiling sincerely as he finally allowed exhaustion to creep into his expression.

A smirk. "I find him interesting."

"His name is Ash Ketchum, sir," a woman informed, walking up to her Boss's desk with a pile of files in her hand. "A very proficient Trainer, considering his age."

"I see."

The man looked down at the Persian whose head he was gently stroking.

"What do _you_ think?" he asked.

A purr.

"That's what I thought."

* * *

Misty turned around, expecting someone to be there.

"It's a bit quiet, don't you think?" she asked a Togetic that was flying circles around her.

"Toge-tic!"

"I haven't seen Ash, either. That idiot better not be skipping his own trophy ceremony."

The Water-Type Trainer continued through the streets, on her way to find a certain Pokemon Doctor-in-training.

* * *

Ash gritted his teeth, clinging to the rough skin of his Garchomp. The Kantonian air left a chill down his back as he mentally prepared himself to fall out of the air in the case that his grip loosened on his Pokemon's dorsal fin. His messenger bag had been jammed between his stomach and the back of the Ground and Dragon-Type, and Pikachu, who was inside, was squirming and screaming at his teammate to let him breathe.

" _Are you sure we're going in the right direction?"_ the Mach Pokemon asked.

"No."

The Electric-Type kicked at Ash's stomach. " _I'll tell you where to go if you let me out of the stupid bag!"_

"Hey, we're at Viridian City!" the Trainer exclaimed, turning to his Starter and clutching the spot where Pikachu had kicked him earlier. "See, it wasn't that _bad_. This was about the equivalent of ten days of walking."

" _Ash, none of us have the energy to fight,"_ Garchomp informed the new Kantonian Champion. " _Let us heal at the Pokemon Center before we leave."_

Pikachu stuck his head out of the bag, shaking his fur a little before facing his teammate. " _We can figure it out once we get there. Doesn't Professor Oak have healing machines?"_

"Actually, he doesn't," Ash answered. "They're strictly owned by the Pokemon Center's company. The government pays Pokemon Centers to function from some of our tax money. Long ago, some person with the last name of 'Joy' invented the healing machine and transformed it into a business. So although labs are also funded by the government, they aren't a part of it. And since patents exist, there aren't healing machines at the lab."

" _What about Potions?"_ the Electric-Type asked.

" _Expensive,"_ Garchomp replied _. "To use Full Restores and Revives on all seven of us is way more than we can afford right now."_

" _Why?"_

The Ground and Dragon-Type sighed, lowering his head as if he was admitting defeat. " _Don't tell me you forgot about Ash's mom."_

" _Huh? What about her?"_

" _We send like, seventy-five percent our profit to her, remember?"_

" _Oh yeah. Right."_

"We can talk about my mom later," Ash spoke up. "I'll let you guys heal in at the Center, but I have to go on ahead."

" _Why?"_ Pikachu asked.

"I have to warn Bulbasaur!"

The Electric-Type shook his head. " _That's not what I meant. Why do you have to hurry?"_

"The trophy ceremony!"

" _What about it?"_

"Team Flare attacked during the trophy ceremony."

" _So? You think Team Rocket will do the same?"_

"Bruno was blackmailed, right? There'd be no one else who'd have the kind of influence that I would know of. Unless the blackmailer is from another region—and those people don't care about Kantonian politics—it should be Giovanni. And the target would obviously be me, right? As for the reason…it doesn't really matter, does it?"

" _So Team Rocket wants your attention,"_ Pikachu summarized. " _And the trophy ceremony's the perfect way to get it."_

" _True. And if they were doing their research correctly, they'd know that you would rush straight into the commotion,"_ Garchomp added, " _and would set a time frame to expect you to arrive."_

"That's why I need to warn Pallet Town!"

" _I see. Are you sure you'll be alright without us?"_

"I'll be fine. Just catch up when you're done, 'kay? Oh, and I know there might be a bit of a crowd, but don't get distracted. Please."

* * *

Ash found himself sprinting through the forest, keeping his eyes on the beaten path and ignoring the burn in his legs. After giving his Pokeballs to Garchomp, he'd found the edge of the city and had started running. Worries rushed through his mind, pushing him through the forest.

After a while, the Trainer found that he couldn't run for much longer and slowed down to a brisk walk.

Was everyone okay?

 _Stop exerting yourself so much,_ a voice rang in his head. _Nurse Joy is having a hard time finding out why I'm so tired._

 _Sorry, Greninja._

The teen figured that it'd be an hour or two before he reached the seaside town.

But if Ash's sense of time was fairly accurate, it would mean that the trophy ceremony was in thirty minutes.

And that would be...bad.

The Trainer figured that throughout his journeys, he should've at least made _some_ attempt to memorize his friends' numbers so that he'd be able to contact them whenever he lost his PokeGear or something like that.

Then again, he never needed one of those in the first place, did he…

It was simple. There was never the need to call them anyway.

Ash, in general, acted more naturally around his Pokemon than he did around his Human friends.

With a huff, the teen concentrated his life force into his legs, pushing energy through them and propelling himself forward.

* * *

Gary sat down in one of the stadium seats, crossing his arms and putting his legs on top of the seat ahead of him. The Gym Leader was already itching to go back to his solitary confinement of a lab, where he could spend endless hours in front of his precious computer, playing online games and trying to uncover the secrets of the world. Then maybe one day he'd be able to head to Tokyo City and discuss important stuff with world-famous researchers other than his gramps.

But as of now, all he could do was pull up his laptop and continue writing a paragraph on the symbolic meaning of Celebi's appearances in regions other than Kanto and Johto. Next to him, Umbreon yawned silently and rested his head on the Researcher's lap.

The closing ceremony was running late, but Gary wasn't too fazed about it. He'd been to countless meetings in which he had to wait hours before anyone (besides himself) showed up. The regional Professors were especially terrible about that, and their video calls would sometimes go for hours without ceasing as they debated about the validity of everyone else's articles.

If Trainers like Ash were crazy for traveling for miles without rest, living alone for vast periods of time, and befriending living weapons, Researchers would just be eccentric. But they were also punctually tardy, unkempt, and slightly neurotic about everything.

This particular teen suffered from back pains (he slouched too much, according to Nidoqueen), headaches (he didn't know whether it was from Alakazam trying to 'awaken the power within' or from just dehydration), and these uncomfortable eye twitches that stem from stress and the lack of sleep.

But that wasn't very important. What _was_ important included the reason behind Celebi's classification change over the last few years: from a forest guardian to one of the keepers of time.

Whoever called it the 'Onion Fairy Pokemon' instead of the 'Time Travel Pokemon' was such an idio—

"Hey."

A shadow loomed overhead, covering the Researcher's laptop.

"Nice to see you, Lance," Gary spoke up, looking up at the former Kanto Champion. He closed down the lid to his device, silently cursing because he forgot to save his precious file, and gave the man a nice, calm smile as a greeting.

"Have you seen Ash?" the Dragon-Type Trainer asked.

"Nope."

"I thought he'd be with you, 'cause...y'know, you two are friends."

"Well, I haven't seen him."

"He's also late to his own trophy ceremony."

"Ash is late to _everything_. It's not a big deal."

"Yeah." The man seemed to be slightly uneasy. "But this is his _trophy ceremony_ we're talking about."

Gary didn't think his childhood friend would care much about fame and prestige. Well, it usually depended on the type of people he hung out with at the time. It wouldn't be the first time he missed out on something important for his skewed sense of urgency.

Lance frowned and tilted his head upward to gaze at the stadium as a whole. Then, with a swish of his cape, he left.

Gary turned around, catching a glimpse of the Dragon Master disappearing behind the crowd.

And that's when he realized that some of the audience members were giving him weird looks, as if they were on the verge of attacking him.

* * *

When news that the closing ceremony was delayed spread throughout the Indigo Plateau, Clemont sighed to himself. Kantonians were a bit on the low-tech side of civilization, so it wasn't a huge surprise that something came up.

Ash would marvel at even the worst of his inventions, and it'd make the Gym Leader so happy…

* * *

Agatha grumbled to herself.

The new Champion would be a pain to deal with, especially with that attitude. What kind of person is late to their own award ceremony?

* * *

Officer Jenny crossed her arms. "It's been thirty minutes," she explained. "We need to cancel it."

"Fine," Lance replied. "But we need to do _something_ , at least. People will start to think badly of him. Let's just end it off with fireworks and let everyone go home."

"We don't have to show our faces, right?" Lorelei asked. "It'd be embarrassing to announce the event without the kid."

"Nah. We'll just light them up and hope everyone forgets about it."

* * *

The sunset cast an eerie glow on the dirt path as a certain young Trainer continued on, stopping only to rest for a few minutes before continuing his sprint through the Route 1 forest.

Pallet Town was five minutes away.

Ash couldn't lose five minutes.

* * *

Bulbasaur was frantic. Noctowl was keeping the Grass and Poison-Type updated on their dire situation, but for the past hour or so, the only news he had been receiving were somewhere along the lines of 'the trucks are still sitting there.'

The worst part of it all was the fact that he didn't know whether Team Rocket was after the Pokemon or the Lab.

Possibly both.

Next to him, Dewott and Quilava were still engaged in their argument (Bulbasaur had stopped paying attention to them for a while by now) and Totodile was still unaware of their current situation.

" _You whippersnappers better have my breakfast tomorrow! The springtime of youth does not wait!"_ the Water-Type would shout every few minutes, reminding the Seed Pokemon that Totodile should've never been exposed to old TV shows. The Big Jaw Pokemon could talk for hours before breaking into song and dance, attempting to emulate actors in old musicals.

" _Someone's coming,"_ Noctowl suddenly informed them.

" _Should we attack?"_ Quilava asked, breaking free—and going straight back to—her debate.

Staraptor landed on the grass of the ranch with a graceful but powerful dive. " _Everyone's underground in those shelters we built by now,"_ she informed the group. " _Meganium's a bit distraught but I think everyone else is okay with it so far."_

" _Great."_

" _You know, it was all thanks to Krookodile for digging them. Everyone helped, but the guy has some seriously unexpected leadership skills."_

" _Okay."_

" _You don't sound impressed."_

" _Eh."_

Staraptor turned to her fellow Flying and Normal-Type. " _Hey,"_ she greeted.

" _Hi."_

" _You look exhausted,"_ the Predator Pokemon remarked. " _Has Bulbasaur been working you too hard?"_

Noctowl laughed. " _All is well when one works for a good cause,"_ he answered sagely, closing his eyes and nodding his head for effect.

" _He's been a great help, actually,"_ the Grass and Poison-Type spoke up. " _The Tauros scouts have been reporting back to him using Substitute."_

The Sinnohian Pokemon smiled (in a way only a bird can). " _I don't think that letting the Tauros rampage all over Pallet Town is a good idea, but I guess it's okay…"_

As the Normal and Flying-Type finished her sentence, a Tauros substitute skidded to a halt in front of Noctowl.

" _What is it?"_ Bulbasaur asked.

" _Someone's coming,"_ Waro the Tauros reported.

" _Really?"_ Bulbasaur asked.

" _I thought we already established that,"_ Noctowl commented.

" _Should we attack?"_ Staraptor asked.

Quilava stopped her argument in mid-sentence to stare at the ones holding the conversation behind her for a few seconds before returning to her shoutfest at an indignant-looking but silent Buizel.

" _Actually, you'll be surprised,"_ Waro replied. " _I think it's Ash."_

" _What's_ _he_ _doing here?"_ Bulbasaur muttered under his breath. Coming to the lab was a terrible idea in the first place. Plus, wasn't he doing a challenge or something? Even if telling him about the situation was a decent idea, the teen should've understood that the Grass and Poison-Type had everything under control. There was no need to be running back to Pallet Town, even if there were trucks ready to ambush the Pokemon.

In conclusion, it wasn't a good time to be bothering their Trainer on something as stupid as Team Rocket.

Wait.

" _He knows,"_ Bulbasaur realized.

" _Eh?"_ Staraptor asked.

The Seed Pokemon faced Waro. " _Get him here. And make sure he isn't seen."_

" _Got it."_

Noctowl sighed. " _Trouble comes for those who expect it,"_ he remarked sagely.

* * *

Waro the Tauros found his Trainer lying against a crooked tree, panting heavily. There were dark rings under the teen's eyes and his shirt was drenched in sweat.

"' _Sup?"_ the Wild Bull Pokemon asked.

Ash didn't reply.

" _So...I have to get you to Bulbasaur and stuff, so don't make too much noise, 'kay?"_ he asked.

The Trainer nodded slightly, holding an arm up. Waro grabbed it with his mouth and hoisted the Human up, noting that the teen had lost weight. The poor boy was probably staying up late at night again.

Ash jumped onto his Pokemon's back, collapsing on it like a rag doll once he felt secure. "Thanks, uh...Daro? Laro? No, you're Waro. Sorry."

" _Ah, it's no big deal. You're trying."_

"No, really. Thanks."

" _You know, you're not ever going to get married with that attitude."_

"Eh?"

" _Forget I said anything."_

"I'm sorry; I think I drifted off for a second there. Can you repeat that?"

" _No."_

"Okay."

The Normal-Type felt the teen slump against his back, clutching Waro's mane as he slept.

Humans were so weak; yet, they carried a massive willpower inside.

His Trainer was truly strong.

* * *

May smiled at the fireworks as they lit the evening sky at the Indigo Plateau.

But where was Ash?

The question lingered in her mind as flashes and pops of red, blue, green, and gold colored the sky once more.

* * *

"The Champion is nowhere to be found, Boss," a Grunt reported, standing so still that Giovanni was almost impressed with the man's enthusiasm.

Almost.

"Have you checked the security cameras?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. We last saw him on the streets around an hour after the challenge."

"I see." The ex-Gym Leader stroked his chin, frowning to himself as the Persian next to him gave a happy yawn. "Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" he asked.

"His entire team was reported to be healing up at the Viridian City Pokemon Center," the Grunt replied.

"His entire team, you say?" the Rocket Boss repeated.

"Yes, sir."

A minute of dead silence ensued. Giovanni did not move. The Grunt continued his rigid stance.

At last, Giovanni let out a chuckle. "I see how it is."

"Sir?"

"Tell the trucks to advance. The members in the stadium are to reveal themselves and announce our plans."

"On it."

With a slight nod, the Grunt whipped around and marched rigidly out of the office, feet thundering on the tile.

When only he and his Persian remained, the Rocket Boss smiled down at the Pokemon, petting its head gently.

"The Champion knew we were coming for him, didn't he? Well, it's fine. No harm was done."

* * *

Ash woke up on a couch.

"What the—" he started, but was interrupted by a vine to the face.

" _I would be screaming your name and jumping into your arms right now, but we have more important matters and this isn't an anime episode,"_ Bulbasaur's voice—slightly raspy but with a hint of authority—sounded.

Quilava jumped onto the teen's stomach, crushing her Trainer excitedly. " _Ash! Ash! You're awake!"_ she exclaimed, ignoring the groan that escaped the Human's mouth.

"Hi, Quilava. Nice to see you, too."

As the Fire-Type climbed onto the Trainer's head, sitting on his nest of hair with a triumphant grin, another Tauros ran into the lab.

" _The trucks are coming,"_ Dano reported, an urgent expression plastered on his face.

" _Got it,"_ Noctowl replied.

Ash jumped a little at the voice. He hadn't realized that the Owl Pokemon was perched on the other side of the couch he was lying on.

With a nod, the Normal-Type at the doorway stampeded off.

* * *

The sun was but a thin line in the west above the horizon when Ash first saw the headlights of a black trailer swerving into the side of the lab building. A loud clang emanated off the side of vehicle's metal side, making the teen flinch a little behind the window he was peering out of.

"Where's Oak?" he asked, turning around to where Bulbasaur was pushing shelves together in an attempt to fabricate something like a veneer to keep Rocket eyes away from boxes of files that Buizel and Quilava helped carry behind.

" _Oak?"_ the Water-Type echoed. " _We thought he was at the Indigo Plateau."_

"How about Tracey?"

" _Oh yeah, the headband kid. Forgot about him."_

" _It's okay,"_ Quilava spoke up, oddly sympathetic. " _It's not hard to do so."_

" _Tracey? Oh, he was planning to go to art school, wasn't he?"_ Bulbasaur asked.

"So he's not living here anymore?"

" _No, he was going to leave in a month or so."_

"Oh."

Noctowl lowered his head. " _Those forgotten shall be missed."_

" _You're not really helping the situation, you know,"_ Buizel muttered, crossing his arms.

"Alright, so what was your plan?" the Trainer asked, crouching next to his team members.

" _Get all the ranch Pokemon away from Pallet Town—'cause Team Rocket's always obsessed with stealing things,"_ Bulbasaur replied.

"That's it?"

" _The gist of it, yeah."_

"Sounds good to me."

Quilava jumped on the couch, watching as a Team Rocket member took out a flashlight and shone it on the ground in front of him. " _Two questions here: why didn't we close all the curtains…and is Team Rocket going to be everywhere in Pallet?"_

Noctowl shifted his weight from side to side. " _She asks good questions."_

" _I think the answer to one of them is 'yes,'"_ Buizel spoke up.

"How about the other one?"

" _Dunno."_

"Sounds about right."

* * *

Delia wondered why the people in sleek, black uniforms arrived at her house. As she opened the door with a bright, wide smile, she was greeted with three Team Rocket grunts.

"Mrs. Ketchum, is it?" a woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am. What brings you here to my humble home?"

A short, stubby man brought his hands to his hips. "You are the mother of the new Champion, no?"

"I am?" Delia wondered aloud. "Oh, that's actually pretty cool. I turned off the TV at the last second because I knew that I'd start to get mad at poor Lance for being a cheater. He reminded me of Alain, y'know? And don't even get me started on _him._ The guy showed no resp—"

"Ma'am," the other grunt—a tall, lanky man with bright, turquoise hair—interrupted, "we know there's someone else in your house."

"Oh, were you asking about Mimey?"

As if it was on cue, the Psychic-Type poked his head through the doorway. "Mime mime."

The three grunts let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Oh, so _that's_ where the thermal reading was coming from. I'm sorta glad that it's not _him_."

"I concur."

The woman looked up from the wooden clipboard she was holding. "Well, I guess that's it. Thanks for your time."

"No problem! I'm always happy to help."

"Uh, we advise you to stay in your house tonight and ignore anything strange happening outside. It might get dangerous, y'know."

Delia held up a hand to her mouth to hide a chuckle. "Don't worry, I will. Politics gets like this, sometimes. You can assure yourself that I will stay out of _everything_."

* * *

The flames caught him off guard.

They were small, at first. They flickered in and out of view, lighting up the room in a warm glow.

They weren't supposed to be there.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted. "Where did you hide everyone?!"

" _Under the floorboards. Krookodile's digging a tunnel to the forest."_

"We have to seal them in."

The Grass and Poison-Type's eyes widened, emphasizing his disbelief. " _We're trying to evacuate hundreds of Pokemon, and you want to suffocate them? Does 'asphyxiation' mean anything to you?!"_

Noctowl looked at the tongues of fire that slowly consumed the wall adjacent to him. " _What an interesting development, this is."_

Quilava nodded in agreement. " _If we let the lab burn, then all of Oak's research would be gone."_

The Owl Pokemon turned to his teammate. " _That's not what I meant."_

" _Where's Totodile?"_ Buizel asked. " _He was here a while ago."_

Bulbasaur was suddenly overcome with an intense dread.

" _Why do I even bother?"_

" _He's going to be spotted!"_ Quilava exclaimed.

" _We_ _just_ _established that,"_ Buizel remarked.

" _No, we didn't."_

" _It was heavily implied that—"_

"So," Ash interrupted, "what was the point of evacuating everyone?"

Bulbasaur turned to face his Trainer. " _Team Rocket's aiming for the lab, right? So we need to hide the Pokemon_ _and_ _the official-looking documents."_

" _They're burning down the lab, Bulbasaur,"_ Buizel spoke up. " _Clearly, they're_ _not_ _trying to steal any documents."_

" _What an interesting development, it is,"_ Noctowl repeated.

The Seed Pokemon's expression had turned from stressed to…more stressed than he was before. " _What is it?"_ he asked.

" _Ash knows."_

"I do."

" _He's so serious that it's sounds as if he's saying his marriage vows,"_ Quilava muttered under her breath.

" _Ash?"_ Buizel asked. " _Do you have new information?"_

"Yep. Get all the capable Water-Types to put out this fire. There might be other buildings burning right now throughout Pallet Town."

Bulbasaur frowned. " _What's this about?"_

"The Pokemon here aren't in any immediate danger. No one would burn things down if they wanted to kidnap them."

" _It seems as if my conclusion was correct,"_ Noctowl spoke up. " _The new plan is this: the Water-Types will put out the fires around Kanto. A fourth of the remaining capable Pokemon will proceed to help evacuate. Another fourth will move Oak's belongings. Everyone else in that category will fight against Team Rocket and keep Kanto safe."_

" _Now I see,"_ Bulbasaur realized. _"Totodile has revealed our presence anyway, so there's no point in hiding."_

The Normal and Flying-Type nodded in agreement. " _Their fury is upon us. We must rise in response to the music for the undefeated."_

 _"That was oddly profound,"_ Quilava remarked, _"but true. Their plan is more sinister than what we thought it to be."_

"Yep, you've realized it," the Champion of Kanto spoke up, showing no sign of hesitation. "Team Rocket wants _me,_ not all of you."

* * *

" _That took way too long," _Pikachu complained.

" _It was Greninja who took the longest,"_ Charizard added on. " _Nurse Joy was so confused."_

" _And now he's 'bedridden' for the night."_ The Electric-Type groaned. " _What are we expected to do? Break him out or something?"_

" _Good plan,"_ Sceptile spoke up, walking out of the examination room to meet up with the two.

" _Who's left?"_ Charizard asked.

" _Just Gallade. Garchomp went to find Greninja's room, and Vivi's watching TV in the cafeteria area."_

" _That's good."_

There was a slight moment of silence as the three Pokemon stood there, finally able to relax after a stressful day.

Charizard suddenly grinned, smiling from ear to ear. " _Heh."_

" _What is it?"_ Pikachu asked.

" _We did it."_

" _Did wha—oh."_

The Grass-Type sat down on the white tile floor, chuckling pensively. " _I actually didn't expect us to win."_

" _I didn't either."_

Pikachu looked up at the two regional Starters, sighing deeply. " _Hey, did you know that we're the strongest in Kanto?"_

" _Shut up, Rodent. It hasn't sunken in yet."_

Sceptile chuckled. " _Yeah, he can't be arrogant about it, yet."_

" _Key word:_ _yet, " _the Mouse Pokemon agreed.

Gallade appeared at the end of the hallway, casually strolling down to meet up with his teammates.

" _Should we save Greninja, now?"_ Charizard asked.

" _Yeah. Let's go."_

* * *

Oshawott loved being helpful.

The fires around town were getting larger and larger!

And it was his job to put them all out.

With his buddy, Pignite, at his side, nothing could stand against the Sea Otter Pokemon.

* * *

" _You did_ _what?! " _Gallade exclaimed.

"I wanted to help Greninja sleep, especially because it was trying to stay awake. The poor thing needs rest!"

Sceptile was frantic. " _You_ _do_ _know that Greninja's state of mind slightly affects Ash's, right?"_

The Psychic and Fighting-Type promptly translated, using telepathy to convey his thoughts.

"Is there something wrong?" Nurse Joy asked. "The zaleplon I gave him should wear off in an hour or two."

" _What's it made out of?"_ the Grass-Type asked.

" _He wants to know what it's made out of,"_ Gallade echoed.

"We use Sleep Powder from various Pokemon, herbs from rural Kanto, a few berries—uh, do you want me to list the ingredient out for you?"

" _Does anyone know Wake-Up Slap?"_ Pikachu asked.

" _Nope, but I have my own version," _Charizard answered, raising a fist.

" _Let Garchomp and Vivi handle it,"_ Sceptile assured the two. " _Nothing bad's happened so far, and they're being perfectly quie—"_

CRASH!

" _Gallade, Teleport us out! Quickly! Then RUN, all of you!"_

* * *

" _What did you do?"_ Pikachu asked. " _That was really loud."_

" _I broke a window!"_ Vivi answered, unaware that next to her, Garchomp was looking more than a little guilty about it.

" _What's going on?"_ Greninja asked, rubbing his head. The tree he had been leaning against didn't give him much comfort.

" _You're awake!"_ Pikachu exclaimed. " _Now hurry up; we have to get moving."_

The Water and Dark-Type looked disoriented. " _Uh, I think there's a problem. Ash...is very confused right now. There's a little anger and grogginess in there—and a really bad headache, too—but he's definitely confused."_

" _Hie, mate!"_ Gallade declared. " _Lest we arriveth too late!"_

" _He wants us to hurry,"_ Sceptile explained.

 _"Okay."_

" _Teleporting us all will take a bit of my energy,"_ the Blade Pokemon said, transforming into a Gardevoir. " _Let me charge up a little, but stay close when I tell you to. You don't want to leave behind an arm or a head."_

* * *

" _I can see the bottom of the mountain!"_ Infernape cheered.

" _Finally!"_ Daro the Tauros exclaimed.

" _How do we stop?!"_ Torterra asked.

" _Is there any need to?"_ Hawlucha replied, laughing. Behind him, Noivern expressed his joy to be back where temperatures were warmer.

" _Good point."_

Through his Flame Wheel, Infernape could see the forest trees sticking out over the horizon. In the distance, a few fireworks lit the sky.

At the rear, the mountaintops were teeming with Pidgey and Pidgeotto. With a battle cry, Pidgeot led them in a steep aerial dive.

The Fire and Fighting-Type hoped that his Trainer was okay.

* * *

"Hello, Kanto. We're glad you've been enjoying the show."

The voice on the loudspeaker had a dark, mellow timbre to it. Gary looked up from his laptop, reminding himself to blink. Next to him, a baby started crying and his mother gave the researcher an apologetic look. His Pokegear also started ringing.

"Yeah, so we kinda-sorta-maybe just stole your new Champion. Hope you're okay with that."

Suddenly, at least ten percent of the crowd had taken off their sweaters and jackets, revealing black uniforms, each with a large, red R visible even under the night sky.

* * *

 **See you all, sometime. Until then, keep living life. It's a good idea.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Wow! What a long break!**

 **Yeah, it's been a while, so before you read this chapter, you may want to _go over some of the previous ones_ to refresh your memory of this fanfic. **

**Here are some replies to reviews before I continue.**

 **Noxlux013: Nope, he's not a natural Drunken Fist Master like _someone_ we know from another universe. Maybe Greninja is, though. There are so many references in that Pokemon that it's kinda cool.**

 **bladetri: xD**

 **MagicWarriorDragon: Thank you for reading! Yeah, Ash's Pokemon are really cool. So far, Lycanroc is my favorite in the Sun and Moon series but I still hope Litten and Rowlet evolve soon.**

 **ultimateCCC: We'll see about that.**

 **multyfangirl19: The new chapter is here! Enjoy!**

 **ElectraX12: Thank you for waiting. Without further adieu, it's here!**

 **Lectori Salutem: School _is_ important, and my grades are better than they've ever been! (Yes!) Don't worry, I have too many ideas to stop completely. Delia is an amazing person, and hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!**

 **jakeroo123: Wow. Long comment. Here we go...1) Maybe. I haven't seen those Bulbapedia sites, so I wouldn't know. Maybe Ash earned the rest of the badges offscreen or something like that. In the anime, some of the Gyms were pretty bad (there was a Gym inspector sometime in there) so I'm guessing that a lot of Gyms got shut down between Kanto and Alola. 2) I think we can all agree that Ash isn't normal. But then again, is _anyone_ normal in the Pokeverse? 3) Yeah, Team Rocket finally does something! 4) I like to think of that too. The Pokemon World is really cool, and I like to search for the tiny implications that each character gives us and connect them through logic. Ash's character, for one, is one of the most contradictory things in the anime, and I'm still trying to figure out why.**

 **Hall Gowrt: Glad to see that you're enjoying the fanfic. Hopefully by the time you catch up and see this comment, your questions have been answered, haha.**

 **.**

 **Alright! I'm back! Did anyone miss me? (Probably not...)**

 **My writing style's changed a little, so please bear with me. It's been a while since my last chapter.**

 **I got a beta in that long timespan: InfernalFox.**

 **So credit goes to InfernalFox as well.**

 **If I had to guess, the next chapter will probably come out in March, so just wait until then. I think I have more time now that my competitive season is almost over. And that would make this either a Christmas or a New Year's gift to you all! (Ha.)**

 **There's still a very old poll up on my profile that you can still vote on in order for me to possibly include your favorite character in the story more often.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Ash liked to see himself as a logical, intelligent young man.

Unfortunately, he had spontaneously passed out earlier, so his senses were a bit dull at the moment. A bright, white light inhibited his attempts at opening his eyes.

The Trainer shivered.

He was lying in some sort of curved surface, but it was surprisingly comfortable, especially wi—

* * *

Charizard huffed, letting a cloud of smoke escape from his lizard lips.

" _Stop it,"_ Sceptile grumbled. The Grass-Type turned his head to face his teammate, a look of slight annoyance plastered on his face. " _You're scaring the inhabitants."_

The Flame Pokemon looked away, rolling his shoulders back with a crack. " _My bad."_

Pikachu looked up at the two Kantonian Starters. " _Why are you two arguing_ _now_ _, of all times?"_ he asked, crimson light reflecting in his eyes.

The team stood on the hillside, watching as buildings slowly evaporated beneath a bonfire of flames that cast an eerie glow on the countryside. The shouting of Pallet Town's inhabitants—distant yet pungent—sent shivers up the Electric-Type's spine. He was strangely reminded of a certain city in Kalos slowly being destroyed by giant vines.

" _Greninja, where's Ash?"_ he asked.

" _That's a good question."_

Charizard let out a _hmph_. " _You better know the answer to that 'good question.'"_

" _I don't, actually."_

Gallade, who had collapsed on the dirt road, exhausted, cast an annoyed expression at the Fire-Type. " _You're not helping, y'know."_

" _Why don't you just heal yourself up?"_ Garchomp asked.

" _I'll do that when I stop seeing double."_

" _Oh."_

Pikachu turned around, facing his team members. " _Charizard,"_ he said, pointing a short finger at the pseudo-dragon, " _take Sceptile and Greninja to search for Ash. Garchomp, you can take Gallade and Vivi. Help put out the fire."_

" _Where are_ _you_ _going, Pikachu?"_ Vivi asked, as curious as ever. Even as flames danced in her eyes, her pointed, brown Eevee tail reflected her excitement.

" _Somewhere. I'll see you later, 'kay?"_

Charizard crossed his arms. " _You sound suspiciously like Ash whenever he's about to save the world."_

Greninja nodded, emulating the Fire-Type's action. " _He's not wrong, y'know."_

The Electric-Type smiled widely until he couldn't hold in his laughter any longer. " _Idiots! I'm just going to search for Gary! It's not much of a big deal."_

" _Oh. Okay."_

" _Hath fun-eth, then-eth."_

" _But don't have too much fun."_

" _Stay safe."_

" _What they said."_

" _Bye, Pikachu!"_ Vivi called out as the Mouse Pokemon powered up Magnet Rise, surrounding himself with a self-generated electromagnet and propelling himself into the air with a running start and a leap.

When the Electric-Type had disappeared into the distance, Garchomp sighed. " _He's not actually going to find Gary, is he…"_

" _Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the answer is,"_ Sceptile paused for a dramatic effect, " _of course not!"_

" _The rodent's an idiot, just like our Trainer,"_ Charizard agreed.

" _We'll see him later anyway,"_ Greninja spoke up. " _But we're wasting time. The fire has lessened and we're not really doing anything to help."_

" _Good point."_

With a terse goodbye, the team split up.

* * *

Ash woke up to the sound of distant screaming.

 _Weird,_ he thought. _Why would anyone need to—_

 _Oh._

He was lying on his back in a clear, test-tube shaped container hanging from a white machine with lights blinking red and blue.

The room was white like a Beartic's fur and reminded the Trainer of a hospital. There were even a few chairs against the wall that looked like the ones used for patients to sit in while waiting for nurses or doctors. On a separate table, different chemicals sat in beakers and Erlenmeyer flasks, each reflecting a different shade of blue. The floor—which was at least a foot or two below him—was tiled with coral-colored squares that lined the entire room. On the other side of the room, a large, metal door blocked the teen from the outside world.

With his fingertips, Ash cautiously knocked on the glass entrapping him.

 _Must be at least three inches thick,_ he reasoned.

There was no room for the teen to stand. He could only awkwardly sit up, legs crossed, and wonder how he ended up in such a strange situation. Closing his eyes and focusing, the trainer tried to sense the presence of a potential ally but was unsuccessful. He was the only one in the near vicinity, it seemed.

The trainer gazed drearily at the dim ceiling. The rectangular lights blinked on and off continuously, malfunctioning as if they haven't been replaced in years.

Where _was_ he?

 _That's a good question, actually,_ Greninja's voice rang in his mind.

Ash tried to reach out for his Water-Type—at first cautiously but then almost desperately—something like _Hello? Greninja? Answer me, darn it; Arceus please let me talk to my Greninja…_

He grew annoyed, remembering how his home was being consumed by Team Rocket's raging fire. Arsonists, all of them. Idiots, too. Wasted their entire life on some stupid organization.

Ash began to hear the soft, muffled sound of footsteps. After a few seconds, they eventually disappeared, but the teen came to realize that members of the organization were probably keeping watch outside, discreetly making sure that the teen wouldn't escape.

He laughed. The grunts would have no defense against an Aura-infused fist of his. All he needed to do was get on his knees and punch the glass separating him from the—

His knuckles were bleeding, and the Aura dissipated against the hard surface. The machine above him began to beep softly.

 _Type Glass, huh,_ Ash realized. _Must be Ghost-Type or something similar._

With a sigh, he slumped against the curved surface of his prison.

The door opened.

 _This is great,_ the trainer thought, _I love it when things are suspenseful. Maybe I'll end up dying in the next few seconds. Ready? Three...two...one…_

"Hello, Champion."

His voice sent shivers up the teen's spine. The hairs on his arms stood up as if they were acknowledging the sheer position of the speaker.

"Giovanni," Ash spoke up in a low voice.

The man wore a black business outfit with gray, vertical stripes and an almost evil-looking grin. On the right side of his blazer, a red R signified his position in the criminal organization he led.

"It's funny. I thought you were Unovian, at first." The Team Rocket Boss chuckled lightly, bringing a hand up to his chin. "You were in Unova, weren't you? But now that I think about it, you never looked Unovian to begin with."

Ash didn't respond.

"They don't see many Kantonians in Unova these days. Something about being annoyed that the Trainers from the land of dragons couldn't match up to a 'fake dragon master,'" he made quotation marks in the air with his fingers, "like Lance. But it seems as if you've fixed that little problem by defeating him."

The trainer continued to stare at his feet.

"Champion, I have a request for you."

Ash raised his head. "What?"

Immediately, he was a bit astonished at himself. Usually, he'd say something like 'We don't talk to criminals! Go away!' Maybe his abstruse relationship with red-head, blue-head, and Meowth-head after Kalos had changed him.

Plus, his precious, level-headed Pikachu wasn't with him.

Yeah, Pikachu would've been like 'FEEL MY THUNDERBOLT! 10,000,000 VOLTS! DIE!' or something like that.

"You listening?" Giovanni asked, waving a palm in front of the glass. "Earth to Champion…"

"Hm?"

"I told you I had a proposition."

"No, you told me that you had a request."

The businessman chuckled. "Youth. So lively, am I right?"

A Persian walked through the doorway, yowling in agreement. As it reached its master's side, it sat down, purring as the Team Rocket Boss stroked its head rhythmically.

Ash froze. The last time he'd heard a Pokemon make a noise…

Rather than that, it was more like, 'the last time he'd didn't understand a Pokemon's words.'

Anyway, it was a while ago.

At first, his brain didn't register the source of the call. He'd gotten so used to hearing words like, 'You idiot,' instead of 'Pika Pikapi,' that the Normal-Type's voice seemed almost foreign.

It was also completely unexpected. Did Aura not work because…Type Glass associated Aura Spheres with Fighting-Type moves?

He let his vision shift to Aura Sight. The only source of light he could find was, again, himself.

"Hmph," Giovanni spoke up. "Champion, it seems like you have a secret."

Ash laughed, not letting even an ounce of humor show in his voice. "That makes two of us."

He'd expected that the Team Rocket Boss knew about him. The machine above him only started beeping after he'd punched the glass wall using Aura. Plus, Ghost-Type glass was presumably used (his experience with Gallade and Vivi's rescues gave him this knowledge). If Giovanni didn't have his suspicions, Ash would have been shut in a normal prison or cage with bars.

"Champion, do you know what would happen if the public found out that you cheated in your Elite Four Challenge?"

"I've already accounted for that. If they fire me, they fire Sabrina." _And Gary,_ the trainer added on mentally, smiling at the thought of his childhood rival and friend.

"But what about the doubt they would have about their representative's integrity?" Giovanni asked.

 _But they love that Full Restore-using cheater,_ Greninja grumbled.

 _Greninja?_ Ash asked mentally, trying to communicate with the Kalosian Pokemon.

No response.

"Fine, be that way," Ash muttered aloud.

"Hear me out." Giovanni's deep voice guided the trainer back to reality. "I won't let rumors leak if you give me back my Gym. In fact, I'll even give you information regarding the research a friend of mine has done on beings from another time and space."

The trainer's eyes unintentionally lit up. New Pokemon? From another...dimension, it seemed?

But then again, the wellbeing of his region came first. He let the sense of responsibility sink in over his shoulders, reminding him that he now had more than his Pokemon to care for. There were the farmers in the fields, the travelling trainers, aspiring office workers, young children in school…

"I can't accept your offer," Ash replied, crossing his arms.

"But what if the economy were to suddenly experience a boon?" Giovanni asked. "I have connections with wealthy businessmen from other regions."

"Like who? Lysandre's gone and so is Cyrus. Heck, even Hunter J has been missing for at least two years."

"Intriguing. He thinks they're dead."

"Huh?"

The man, ignoring Ash's reaction, lifted up his right hand to check the time on his watch. "Champion, please consider my offer. I'll be back."

As the door closed behind him, Ash slumped down against the glass. Lifting an Aura-infused hand to the smooth surface, he shrugged. "I don't think that was an option to begin with."

* * *

Gary shoved his laptop into his bag, muttering words-not-to-be-heard under his breath.

" _Are you sure they're telling the truth?"_ Umbreon asked from the seat next to his.

The stadium was in chaos. Flying-Types surrounded the skies, firing Dragon Pulses at everyone who dared to escape. By then, rumors had already reached the researcher's ears about members of the Nido family plugging the ground entrances to the stadium with cement. People were scrambling around, trying to find their kids, calling their families, battling Rockets…

Gary could see the long line for the bathrooms from where he was seated.

The Mr. Mimes that were protecting the audience earlier had completed a psychic barrier around the stadium.

" _Gary, I was asking you a question,"_ Umbreon spoke up.

"Oh, sorry. I was…"

" _I understand. As I was saying, what makes you so confident that Ash has been captured?"_

"He's an idiot. What other reason do I need?"

" _But you're lacking proof, isn't that right? Gary Oak does not act without proof."_

The researcher sighed. "You're right. Let's wait and gather information before we do anything rash. Now _that_ would be Ash's job, wouldn't it?"

" _Not his_ _new_ _one, that's for sure."_

"You get what I mean."

Prolific trainers scattered along the public, making attempts at calming down the people. Humans and Pokemon alike moved away from the gang members in black and toward Steven, Cynthia, Alder, and Diantha, who were ushering civilians toward the field.

In that instant, a bawling Wooper ran into Gary's open arms, slamming into his chest like a Headbutt and knocking him backward into his seat. " _Aaaaaaah, mama!"_ the Ground-Type sobbed.

" _Ay mama,"_ Umbreon muttered. " _It's gonna be quite the day, huh."_

"Can you check my bag?" The Gym Leader asked. "I want to know who decided to come along today."

" _You mean, your purse?"_

"It's not a purse!"

Wooper began to cry louder.

Gary awkwardly held Water Fish Pokemon up, bouncing it in his arms and giving his Dark-Type panicked looks. "Ah! It's okay now; don't cry. I got you."

Umbreon snickered slightly as he used Psychic to open up the bag his Trainer was carrying. Looking inside, the Moonlight Pokemon squinted to look through the red and white outer covering of the Pokeballs with Detect.

" _You have me, Arcanine, Aerodactyl, and Blastoise."_

The researcher scrunched up his eyebrows, a habit he seemed to have developed as of late. "I understand you, Arcanine, and Blastoise, but _Aerodactyl_? When did _he_ get back?"

" _Like, yesterday."_

"Oh. To be honest, I thought he ran away."

" _Nah, he just wanted to go sightseeing."_

"Oh. Okay."

Gary and Umbreon sat in silence for a few seconds, listening to the sound of screaming and looking at each other, unsure of what to do. The Viridian City Gym Leader let his head drop into the palms of his hands. The regional Champions were still in the area, but the movement of the crowd and the attention of Team Rocket made it hard to battle. Plus, the attacks would probably end up hurting the civilians. Besides the professionals, most people usually carried only one or two Pokémon with them, which didn't help the cause. The number of Team Rocket Pokémon outnumbered the human population at least three to one if all the Mr. Mimes were counted.

He remembered Brock and Misty leaving the stadium to meet with a group of friends—which probably included Dawn and that girl whose name was either May or June—and were probably trying to battle the Rockets from the outside.

If there were about a hundred Grunt-and-Pokémon teams outside, the Gym Leaders would need Officer Jenny for backup. When the researcher was battling Grunts with Ash, there were at least forty Pokémon against a few thousand enemies, and it was still a tough battle, even with the help of two extremely capable Legendaries.

If each Grunt carried a full team of six, things would get messy if a fight started.

And Ash would have more to deal with than he already did.

Gary scanned his surroundings, searching for a solution to his predicament of being useless when a flash of lemon-colored hair caught his eye.

The dude from earlier! His name was, like, Citrus, or something like that.

"Hey, you!" the Viridian City Gym Leader called out, waving his arms wildly.

" _You look like Ash when you do that,"_ Umbreon commented.

Gary stopped waving his arms.

"I'll keep that in mind."

The Dark-Type chuckled. " _Why don't you do that creepy mind-entering thing you've learned how to do recently?"_

The researcher crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat. "You don't even know what it's like to experience one of those. It's like you expect it coming, _every time._ "

" _But it's so_ _obvious_ _whenever you try. You're literally knocking at the door to my mind, like, 'Hey, can I come in?' Of course I'd reject your presence. That's why Psychic-Type moves are easy to block against."_

"Or, maybe it's just because you're a Dark-Type."

" _But sometimes us Dark-Types get hit by Psychic-Type moves, too. Those weak ones who don't expect the attack get affected easily."_

The Gym Leader's eyes lit up at the revelation. "Oh. I guess you learn something new every day."

" _Yes. Now start being useful!"_

* * *

Clemont had lost his sister in the crowd.

Now, it would've been easy to locate her if he'd brought along his Luxray...or Magneton...or Magnemite...or any other Electric-Type he happened to have, but the Gleam Eyes Pokemon was with Bonnie, the Gym Pokemon were with Clembot back in Lumiose, and his only companions, Chespin and Bunnelby, were of little help.

The Grass-Type and Normal-Type were in a heated argument, presumably over the Spiny Nut Pokemon's antics.

The Gym Leader, meandering around people and Pokemon alike, came to find Diantha, the Kalos Region Champion, who was patiently ushering people around and assuring that they were safe.

"Why isn't _our_ Champion helping us?" a young boy, around the age of six, was asking her. "Where is he?"

The woman smiled. "I'm sure he's doing fine. After all, you saw how strong he was. Am I right?"

The boy nodded. "Mommy said that he's in trouble, but I don't believe her! Ash is cool!"

Clemont agreed internally. Ash _was_ cool.

The Gym Leader approached Diantha and the kid, greeting the two with a wave.

"Hello, Diantha," he called out.

"Clemont! What a surprise. You were here?"

"Yep! Serena texted me that she was coming, so I'd thought I would show up too. Actually, it was Bonnie who really convinced me that I needed to relax, but speaking of Bonnie, have you seen her?"

The Kalosian Champion took a few seconds to comprehend what the Gym Leader just said. "I haven't, actually. When did you last see her?"

"It was right after Ash left the stadium," Clemont replied. We were in the stands."

"Maybe check the bathroom? There's a pretty long line."

"Oh. Thanks."

The Kalosian Train began to leave, wandering slowly toward the end of the line for the women's restroom. That's when he heard it.

 _Hey._

At first, the inventor didn't pay much attention to the voice in his head—he was prone to talking to himself, after all—but over time, he began to feel a little creeped out.

 _Hey._

The Gym Leader tried to ignore the feeling that he was going insane.

 _Dude, I've been trying to get your attention for the past, like five minutes! Do you know how tiring it is for me to keep up this conversation? My elbows are sweating! Can you even sweat from your elbows?!_

Clemont stumbled backward, yelling in surprise and bumping into the dirtied, stadium wall. _AH! Who are you? A ghost?_

The voice laughed. _Of course not! I'm just a person who's trying to get your attention._

 _Huh?_

 _I need your help._

 _Who are you?_

There was a moment of silence in which the Gym Leader contemplated the meaning of life before the voice rang again in his head. _Gary Oak, the guy you were talking to earlier. I think Ash is in trouble._

 _Right,_ Clemont thought back, an experience he realized was more awkward than it needed to be. _Find my sister and I'll come._

 _Oh. She's right next to me. Hey kid, say hi to your brother._

Silence.

 _Oh wait, you can't hear her anyway. Uh...just come over to where we were sitting. I'll explain everything._

* * *

Bulbasaur stood on Route 1, shouting orders at Servine and Pignite, who were carrying years' worth of research to Viridian City. Behind them, Krookodile dragged a cart full of old files and notebooks while Staraptor carried a few parcels tied together with rope. In the rear, nine Tauros shouldered boxes of papers and essays the Professor wrote in his younger years.

A thump resonated behind him, and the Seed Pokemon whipped around to meet Garchomp, who had landed on the ground behind him.

" _Bulbasaur!"_ he greeted. " _Have you seen Ash?"_

" _Ash?"_ the Grass-Type echoed. " _No, I thought he was with…"_ He trailed off, widening his eyes as the realization hit him like a Tauros stampede.

" _What happened?"_ the Ground and Dragon-Type asked. " _Is something wrong?"_

" _When I last saw Ash, he said that Rocket is burning down Pallet Town to get his attention. Do you think…?"_

" _Yes. Greninja couldn't sense him earlier, so we think he may've been captured."_

" _Greninja?"_ Bulbasaur asked. " _You mean,_ _the_ _Greninja? The one everyone's been spreading rumors about?"_

" _Yeah, him,"_ Garchomp replied. " _I'll ask Gallade to spread the word. Is there anything else we can do?"_

Bulbasaur took a second to recover from his shock. " _Yes, in fact,"_ he answered. " _Go to Ash's house. You know where it is, right? Try to save anything you can. And find his mother while you're at it."_

* * *

"You said your name was Gary Oak, right?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah," the researcher replied. "And you're Bonnie."

"Say, was Ash good when he first started out?"

Gary chuckled, remembering his friend's childish, hot-tempered face whenever he was teased by the Viridian City Gym Leader. That annoying brat of a kid grew up, he realized.

"Nope!" he replied. "Ash was _not_ ready for a journey, in my opinion. Then again, _I_ wasn't either. Sometimes I wonder if we were the reason they raised the required age for new Trainers."

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"Kanto may not look like it, but it's a pretty dangerous region compared to Kalos. Ash and I have been in so many near-death situations that the sheer fact that we're alive is impressive. You know, four Trainers started from Pallet Town that year, but only Ash has successfully continued his journey."

"What about you?"

"After the Johto League, I decided to become a Pokemon Researcher and only became a Gym Leader, like, less than a month ago or so," Gary explained, "so I'm a bit rusty compared to people like Ash and Lance."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes, smiling mischievously. "So you quit after Ash beat you."

"I...That…" the Gym Leader started, then paused to regain his dignity. "You're making me look pretty bad, you know. In a one-on-one fight, I could kick his butt any day."

Of course, Gary was referring to a fistfight in which he had a clear Type advantage against the Aura user. An actual Pokemon battle would be a different story. Maybe.

Nah.

"You called?" a voice called out behind him. It was Clemont, carrying a white backpack that Gary hadn't seen him with before.

"Big brother!" Bonnie greeted, flashing a wide grin at the Lumiose Gym Leader and waving a peace sign in front of his face. With a flash of light, a Luxray released itself from its Pokeball, taking a strong but relaxed stance next to his Trainer.

Clemont crossed his arms, letting the glare of the sun reflect off his glasses. He raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly as the researcher stood up to face him.

Gary smiled. Even if he didn't look like one at first, the other teen was definitely an experienced Gym Leader.

Clemont returned the gesture.

"I believe you owe me an explanation."

* * *

Buizel barked orders to the group of Squirtle firefighters before using Surf to douse another burning building in water. Next to him, Totodile happily twirled in circles, using Water Gun to drench the burnt farmland surrounding the area.

" _Does anyone know Rain Dance?"_ the Sea Weasel Pokemon asked, using Aqua Jet to propel himself to the next block.

" _Goodra did, but he's gone,"_ Talonflame replied, matching the Water-Type's pace with a steep glide.

" _Who's Goodra? Can we get him?"_

" _Ash released him back in Kalos,"_ The Fire and Flying-Type replied. " _Are you sure no one here is proficient at the move?"_

Noctowl joined his two teammates in their mid-air flight. " _I've been asking around. Some of the wild Pokemon around here know Rain Dance, but it's not good enough for the entire area."_

" _Does anyone know Teleport?"_ Talonflame asked. " _We can get Goodra in a few hours if we partner up Meganium with a strong Teleporter."_

" _I_ _know Teleport."_

" _Actually,_ _we_ _know Teleport. Isn't that right, honey?"_

Buizel turned his head around to see two Butterfree earnestly flapping their wings to catch up with the group. Both bore Kantonian patterns, but one was a strange, pink color and the other one was wearing a tattered, yellow scarf.

The group of Pokemon landed on the roof of a mostly unharmed house.

" _Hello, good sir and ma'am,"_ Noctowl greeted the two Bug-Types.

" _Hey,"_ the male replied. " _I heard that my old Trainer lived around the area, so we were just on a vacation to visit around. Seems as if we've gotten the wrong place, though, since I've never seen half these species in my life. What's going on?"_

Buizel faced the newcomers. " _I'm Buizel,"_ he introduced himself, " _and these are Talonflame and Noctowl, some of my teammates."_ He lifted a paw to his chin. " _I'm not sure you wild-types know them, but have you heard of Team Rocket?"_

The Bug-Type couple shared a look. " _We know them better than you think,"_ the female replied. " _My hubby used to get chased around by them all the time."_

" _Wow, relatable,"_ the Water-Type remarked. " _Anyway, they've burned down the city to get our Trainer's attention. The guy had a Pokemon in the Kalos Region who was proficient at Rain Dance, and we need his help."_

" _Yep,"_ Talonflame agreed, " _he was on my team for a while. With his help, the fire would be less problematic than it is, especially since the arsonists are still setting buildings and trees on fire around here. Are you two good at Teleport?"_

The two Butterfree shared a laugh _. "I wouldn't say that we're experts,"_ the male said, " _since we haven't really battled in a long time, but...we can easily take three large-sized Pokemon together."_

" _I can get everyone's Pokeballs,"_ Noctowl volunteered. " _I think it's best to first Teleport to Professor Elm's lab in Johto and then transfer Talonflame, who will hold Goodra's Pokeball, to Professor Sycamore's lab in Kalos. Meganium can then heal you two,"_ he motioned to the Butterfree couple, " _and all you have to do is Teleport back."_

Buizel crossed his arms, nodding in agreement. " _Good plan. Let's run the plan over with Headquarters—Bulbasaur, that is—Snivy, the Tauros, and Sceptile before we leave._

He faced the two Butterfree, smiling. " _Thank you for helping us."_

" _No problem,"_ the scarfed Butterfly Pokemon replied.

Noctowl stared at the two Bug-Types with an intrigued look. He didn't know how or why, but those two were important for some reason.

* * *

" _Infernape! I see the town!"_ Noivern exclaimed, landing on a tree. " _But it looks different, somehow."_

" _It's on fire!"_ Hawlucha shouted.

The Fire and Fighting-Type's eyes widened. Next to him, Torterra shared his expression.

Daro the Tauros huffed. " _I'll go report to Bulbasaur. The rest of you should help put it out."_

" _Infernape, it's spreading,"_ Hawlucha informed. " _I think the forest is being set on fire as well."_

" _We need to evacuate the nearby Pokemon,"_ Torterra spoke up. " _Viridian City and Cinnabar Island are good choices."_

The Flame Pokemon nodded. " _Daro, get Bulbasaur. Noivern and Hawlucha, follow him and start evacuating everyone. Torterra, let's start searching for Team Rocket trucks."_

* * *

"By the way, what's a _Wooper_ doing in your bag?" Bonnie asked the Gym Leader. "Is it yours?"

* * *

Greninja, Charizard, and Sceptile wandered the forest, searching for their Trainer. The evening sky was lit up by the glow of the forest fire behind them.

Charizard flew in circles around his two teammates, scanning the horizon for potential signs of helicopters or Rocket Pokemon. " _Anything?" t_ he Fire-Type asked, looking down.

" _Be patient,"_ the Water-Type answered, poking his head out of a tree. " _I need to concentrate to catch a feeling of where he is. My Ash-sense has been pretty cloudy recently, too."_

Sceptile jumped onto another branch, scouting behind the group. " _The fire's definitely spreading this way as well. There are no signs of any Humans around, either. I say that Team Rocket is using Fire-Types to burn down the forest."_

" _If that's the case,"_ the Ninja Pokemon spoke up, " _they wouldn't hold him in the area, right?"_

" _Unless they have a reason to,"_ the Grass-Type added on.

" _Are you sure he's in this direction?"_ Charizard asked.

" _He was. Half an hour ago, at least,"_ the Water-Type replied, sighing. " _That's when I last felt his presence."_

The three teammates felt the mood drop for what seemed to be the trillionth time that day, which, in Greninja's opinion, was annoying: just the slightest bit, of course, but still annoying. He should be celebrating the recent victory with his teammates and meeting his Trainer's other Pokemon at Oak's corral. Ash would be there, introducing the Water-Type to everyone. It would be a party, and Greninja would meet his Trainer's mom…

And Gary. Greninja would _definitely_ like to meet that guy.

" _You know,"_ Sceptile spoke up, " _I've been wondering about how this whole you-and-Ash thing works. I tried researching it a few times in the library when I first heard of you but never got a concrete answer."_

" _You should've seen him,"_ Charizard added on, landing on the ground with a thud. " _Every time we moved to the next city, he'd dash off to the nearest library. And when he got back, he'd complain about how half the sites about the recent Lumiose Conference were blocked for one reason or another."_

" _But it was for good reason,"_ the Grass-Type defended himself. " _We all thought you were a myth at first, you know."_

His rival nodded in agreement. " _When Pikachu came back to Pallet Town proclaiming that I've been knocked down to third place, I was pretty pissed. Chased that rodent all over the corral, you know. Grampa Oak had a fun time cleaning up after our mess."_

Greninja chuckled, crossing his arms. " _Well, sorry to disappoint."_

" _No,"_ the Grass-Type interjected, " _we were pretty surprised when we first met you. Charizard didn't believe that you've only had one year of training."_

" _Hey!"_ the Fire-Type exclaimed, turning to his rival. " _You didn't either!"_

The Forest Pokemon ignored his teammate. " _With Vivi, it was easy to tell that she came from a breeder. The moves she knew were more advanced than the usual Eevee and she was stronger than she was supposed to be at that age. In the Elite Four Challenge, Ash just had to teach her to dodge and take advantage of her natural abilities to win. Our Trainer relied on moves that didn't incorporate power because he knew that she wasn't experienced enough for a brawl. And he ended up only using her in two battles, one of which was against an opponent with a 4x type disadvantage against Fairy-Type moves. The other was a lucky victory with a 'one-hit-KO' move."_

" _And Gallade?"_ Greninja asked.

" _Gallade…he picked up battling too easily after he recovered from Team Rocket. It was as if he already knew the bits and bobs of battle."_

Charizard snickered. " _Bits and bobs?"_

" _What else do you want me to call them?_ _Snippets_ _? Anyway, I could tell that he had a previous Trainer from the moment he showed that he knew Night Slash. That move isn't usually learned in the wild by non-Dark-Types. In addition, it's rare for Gallade to appear in the wild because of the rarity of Dawn Stones needed for them to evolve. He also said that he knew the regional Professor's Garchomp, right? It would be easy for a Trainer to meet up with the regional Professor, and since Lumiose City is the largest city in Kalos, it would be unusual for a city-dwelling Garchomp to be friends with a random Gallade from the countryside."_

The other two teammates were silent as they continued through the forest.

" _If my theory is correct, it would explain why he tried to hide that he came from Lumiose City: because he's conflicted about whether he belongs with Ash or his old Trainer."_

" _Wow, that's deep,"_ Charizard commented.

Greninja suddenly stopped walking. He narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms out of habit and turned around to catch a glimpse of the smoke billowing into the air. An orange glow illuminated his confused face.

" _Since Gallade is a veteran Pokemon, would that mean that he was at the recent Lumiose Conference?"_ the Ninja Pokemon asked.

" _Potentially,"_ Charizard answered.

" _He's a skilled Pokemon," Greninja voiced aloud, mostly to himself, "but even his team didn't make it to the League, he would have watched me and Ash on TV. And that would mean that he recognized me when we first met, even though he pretended otherwise."_

The Flame Pokemon snorted, letting a puff of smoke escape from his nostrils. " _Wow. I don't know how to feel about that."_

" _No,"_ Sceptile spoke up, " _Gallade is a friend and a teammate, right? Let's believe in him and support him, even when he's having doubts about himself."_

Greninja began to nod in agreement when he felt a small explosion of emotion. Ash was trapped in a white room and was talking to someone—possibly his captor. His Trainer was frustrated at something while the man talking to him was talking about maintaining integrity as a Champion or something like that. And something about cheating with Aura during the Elite Four Challenge.

It wasn't hard to guess what the conversation was about. If the world found out about Ash's…abilities, would the Trainer still be able to keep his credibility as a person?

" _But they love that Full Restore-using cheater,"_ the Water-Type muttered under his breath.

The feeling suddenly disappeared. Greninja turned his head to the right. Ash had more of a presence in that direction, did he not?

" _What is it?"_ Sceptile asked, noticing his teammate's sudden shift in demeanor.

" _I think he's_ _that_ _way,"_ the Water-Type replied, pointing to the direction his internal compass was guiding him toward.

" _Lead the way,"_ Charizard spoke up, folding his wings cautiously and falling into a triangular formation behind his Kalosian teammate.

After a few seconds of purposeful hiking, Sceptile cleared his throat. " _You call this happening a 'Bond Phenomenon,' no?"_ he asked.

Greninja nodded, although it was a little difficult to tell that he was doing so because the sun had already disappeared behind the horizon.

" _What happens?"_

" _Basically, it's a physical representation of the synchronization between Ash and me. But in the process, our senses combine."_

The Grass-Type couldn't hold in his curiosity. " _How does this work when you two are apart?"_

" _It's the same as you guys,"_ the Water-Type explained. " _The bond between a Pokemon and their Trainer is the same, even when they're apart, no? Even though we aren't fully synchronized—that requires a bit of concentration—we still have a strong bond."_

" _Inspirational,"_ Charizard commented. " _So that's why you seem to act more like Ash whenever he's near you. Or is it the other way around?"_

Greninja heard a loud _snap_ as he stepped on a particularly large twig. " _Good question."_

" _Do you get his memories?"_ Sceptile inquired.

" _Sparingly. Sometimes when he's thinking about something, it pops into my head. Then again, the opposite happens as well. And when one of us is asleep, we can have conversations. It's freaky. And tiring. When I get hurt while he's asleep, he has to use his brain power to fuse with me and starts to sleeptalk and stuff. Then, in the morning, he's completely braindead and tired and reverts 'back to his Unovian self,' as he likes to say it."_

" _Ouch."_

" _Agreed."_

* * *

Meganium looked at the regional map with a frown. " _I'm pretty sure we need to go a few miles to the north before we have to cross the mountain,"_ she said.

" _I can get us to Viridian City easily,"_ the male Butterfree volunteered.

" _No,"_ his mate spoke up, " _that's too far north. Why don't we first get to the beach on the far left before we think about crossing the ocean?"_

" _Sounds like a plan,"_ Talonflame remarked.

* * *

Butterfree felt the relaxing breeze on his face as soon as he finished transporting his new friends across the vast forest. The beach was pretty—or, as pretty as a beach could be at night. Countless stars were reflected in the ocean's ever-shifting waters like a distorted mirror. The rippling of the waters and the soft crash of the waves on sand brought a smile to his face. Pinkie, his mate, giggled happily and grasped his right hand with her left, taking in the view.

" _The forest isn't your first concern, is it?"_ he asked.

Talonflame turned her head to face the Butterfly Pokemon. " _Hm?"_

" _If all you had to do was save the forest, you wouldn't have come to us. It would be easy to douse the entire forest if everyone worked together, right?"_

Meganium, who was using Heal Pulse on the two Butterfree, walked up to the demarcation between land and sea, placing a foot in the water. " _Correct."_

" _Hey!"_ a voice called out from the water. " _Do you need any help?!"_

A lone Lapras was wading in the shallow water, looking at the group expectantly. " _You've been staring at the water for quite some time! Do you need help?"_ she repeated herself.

" _Actually,"_ Meganium spoke up, " _with help, the trip might take less time. It takes quite a bit of energy-gathering for a long-distance Teleport, right? And it's highly inaccurate, too."_

Pinkie nodded. " _Seems about right."_

" _Can you take us to New Bark Town?"_ she called out to the Transport Pokemon.

" _Sure!"_ came the reply. " _Hop on! I told my herd to go on ahead without me, so I'm free for the night."_

* * *

As Lapras guided the group through the water, the group sat on the Water and Ice-Type's smooth shell, watching the shore disappear behind them.

" _The truth is,"_ Talonflame spoke up, " _our Trainer is missing, and we all think he's in trouble."_

" _Your Trainer?"_ Butterfree asked, sharing a glance with his mate. " _I had a Trainer once."_

Lapras cocked her head." _Really? I did too. But that was a long time ago."_

" _What happened?"_ Meganium asked.

Butterfree chuckled. " _He released me when I met Pinkie. Said that he'd tell the other Pokemon that I went on a trip and would come back someday. I never did, though."_

" _And as for me..."_ the Water and Ice-Type spoke up, " _I was reunited with my herd so he let me go."_

" _Wow,"_ Talonflame remarked. " _What a Trainer."_

Butterfree took a long gaze at the stars. " _I'm not sure what I feel about him, though. Sure, he was a nice person, but he was also really hot-headed and pretty bad as a Trainer. He never trained us, you see. Once forgot about me after a battle, too. But even though he was a newbie, he helped me achieve my goal of evolving to a Butterfree. I didn't think I could do it."_

" _The Trainer_ _I_ _had...wow, it's been such a long time,"_ Lapras reminisced aloud. " _I was just an infant when he rescued me from bad Trainers. I'd lost my herd and had ended up on Tangelo Island. He didn't really train me, though I got to fight in a few Gym battles here and there and defeated a Gengar against the Orange League Champion."_

" _Your Trainer must've been good, then, even if he didn't train you,"_ Meganium commented, enjoying the sea breeze on her petals.

" _He really cared for all of us. Was a bit reckless and impatient at times, but was overall great. Had a crush on the girl he travelled with and everything, although he didn't realize it. They would argue for_ _hours_ _on my back."_

" _Sounds cute!"_ Pinkie exclaimed.

" _How long until we get to New Bark Town?"_ Talonflame suddenly asked.

" _Maybe two hours, if I keep up this speed,"_ Lapras replied. " _You're lucky that the currents are in your favor tonight."_

" _You never told us exactly why you need that Goodra fellow,"_ Butterfree spoke up.

The Fire and Flying-Type lifted a wing to her chin. " _It's a bit of science, actually. Because using Rain Dance means lowering the air pressure, Goodra needs to first have a sense of the area's air pressure, right? Then he can tell us if there's a difference in air pressure in the forest,"_ she explained. " _Since our Greninja who can track down our Trainer from half the world away can't find him, we're assuming that he's in a building somewhere. Temperature has a direct relationship with pressure, and because buildings, at this time of year, use air conditioning—"_

" _Buildings, or whatever our Trainer is in, would have a slightly higher pressure than their surroundings because the volume of both should be kept relatively steady,"_ Meganium finished. " _And Goodra should be able to detect that since there aren't any buildings in the forest nearby."_

" _Yes, it's unnecessarily complicated,"_ the Scorching Pokemon added on, " _but our resident strategists thought it up, so it should work."_

" _We won't question it, then,"_ Butterfree remarked. He was utterly confused, but that was okay.

" _Hey, while the topic of Trainers is still fresh in everyone's minds, I have a question for you two."_ Pinkie pointed at Meganium and Talonflame. " _What's_ _your_ _Trainer like?"_

" _He's dreamy,"_ the Grass-Type replied.

Talonflame laughed, remembering certain stories of her teammate as a Chikorita. " _He's the most caring Human I've ever met,"_ she responded. " _Once, I got into a fight with a Moltres and was falling into a volcano when he jumped in, defied physics by grabbing onto me, and positioned himself so that he was the one to hit the lava first."_

" _A Moltres, you say?"_ Lapras asked.

" _He has a big heart and is very level-headed but enthusiastic,"_ Meganium added on. " _Tends to head into danger for the sake of others, so he's not exactly rash, but at times it seems like he is."_

" _Wow._ _That's_ _a new way of thinking about it,"_ Talonflame remarked.

" _He's also cute like a Pichu but dense like a Snorlax."_

" _Now_ _that's_ _true. There was this girl following him all over Kalos for the sake of being with him and it was so obvious to everyone but_ _him_ _!"_

" _Great Trainer, too._

" _Sounds like a nice guy,"_ Lapras commented.

" _He sure is."_

The Water and Ice-Type grinned. " _No wonder you want to save him! A Trainer like that is amazing."_

* * *

Ash sat in his tube-shaped prison, waiting for the Team Rocket Boss to return. The Trainer's boredom was vast like the regions he'd battled in. To make things worse, his hat was still missing—courtesy of some random fangirls earlier that day—which the teen could've been using to throw at the glass wall and pass time or something like that.

He had also finally figured out how his prison worked.

It consisted of two layers of Type Glass separated by a thin layer of air for breathing purposes. The air holes in the glass were positioned in different places, and since Aura worked in waves—very similar to sound, in that aspect—Ash couldn't sense anything outside the sturdy walls holding him.

His Pokemon were surely searching for him. The Trainer hadn't figured out the reason behind his inability to contact Greninja (probably the Type Glass), but he still held onto the belief that others noticed his absence. Maybe Pikachu would suddenly knock down the door with an Electro Ball and break down the glass with an Iron Tail.

The more he thought about it, the more disillusioned he became.

He sighed for what seemed like the five hundredth time that evening (if it was even evening anymore, that is).

The glass surface opposite of him was charred black from the Aura Spheres he tried to slam into the wall, even though they left no dent.

"For the love of Mew," he groaned aloud, just to hear his own voice and convince himself that he wasn't going insane.

The teen slumped against the glass, tired from everything and the presence of absolutely nothing at the same time.

As he sighed, he caught a whiff of a peculiar scent.

 _Smoke?_

Now that he was listening for it, there was a faint crackling sound in the distance, as if something was on fire.


	36. Chapter 36

**My beta (InfernalFox) gave me the green light (that means, there aren't any blatant grammar errors anymore), so here is the very belated chapter you've been waiting for!**

 **Once again, you may want to re-read a few chapters to gain an understanding of "what's going on" because to be honest, even I forgot some of the nuances of my own plot.**

 **And that's like, borderline crippling depression. In other words, it's pretty sad.**

 **I've been busy with school - I need to get into college, sorry about that - so I'll skip the reviews, 'cause when you have like, twenty essays due on Wednesday (I'm not exaggerating), you tend to have priorities.**

 **Hah! My chapter is now so much shorter! The word count is like, 50% less than usual!**

 **I'll have a long chapter in the summer. Promise.**

 **Don't worry. If you review this chapter, I'll be sure to PM you with a response because I don't like one-sided conversations. They remind me of car rides and my text messages.**

 **Jokes aside, thank you for sticking with me over the years, even though Ash and his crew are totally out-of-character (but to be honest, I can't stand the stories where he's actually in-character sometimes. He has personality shifts between regions, but Unova, Alola and even** ** _Kanto_** **Ash at times...yeah). The amount of support really boosts my ego and makes me want to write more in terms of both quality and quantity. Fanfiction is sometimes looked down upon as a community of sub-intellectuals, but we idiots don't care, do we?**

 **Anyway, I should stop stalling and start the chapter already. It's going to be a while until the next one, though (tests are the best), so...**

 **Here it goes!**

* * *

The forest was silent that night, save for the crackling of the tongues of fire that slowly swallowed all traces of foliage. If one were to listen carefully, they wouldn't even be able to hear the feet that trod gingerly through the grass.

Although stars lit the night sky, it was the warm glow of ravenous flames that illuminated Pikachu's path. The trees cast eerie shadows on the dirt path he followed as he meandered slowly between light and dark.

And then he halted.

A red-bricked building no larger than his Trainer's own home towered above the Electric-Type, tacitly mocking—no, _taunting_ the young Pokemon.

 _I got your Trainer,_ it seemed to say.

Pikachu sat down, staring at the pattern of dull red over white. His unfocused gaze seemed to gloss over the small crack in the wall, the smoky chimney that stuck out…even the slant of roof shingles superimposed upon each other.

With a small smile, the electric rodent turned around and walked away.

* * *

Goodra blinked in surprise, yawning widely and stretching his arms to each side as he rose to his full height. He blinked his eyes rapidly, attempting to exterminate the lingering effects of weariness from his previously inert body. The sun blinded his sight, making the figure of his nap-stealer blurry.

" _Talonflame?"_ he asked.

" _That's me!"_ his old teammate chirped, standing at the entrance to the cave. Her right wing was held up in an energetic wave, but the Dragon Pokemon couldn't help but notice the tired expression in his friend's eyes: the angled droop of her head, the way she shifted her feet awkwardly, the periodic ruffling of her feathers.

" _Are you okay?"_ Goodra asked, walking slowly toward his Kalosian teammate. " _You look like you're about to pass out."_

" _No,"_ the Scorching Pokemon replied bluntly, " _but thanks for asking. Ash has been kidnapped. We need your Rain Dance to locate him. And save his hometown by doing that."_

" _You came all the way from Kanto just to ask me?"_ the Dragon-Type asked, gesturing at himself in genuine surprise. " _Quite the extensive plan."_

" _There's a fire, but Kantonian Pokemon have no regard for moves that don't do damage,"_ Talonflame replied. " _Our Trainer, thankfully, got past that stage, but…"_ she trailed off, leading her silence to interpretation.

" _I understand,"_ Goodra replied, opening his arms and squeezing his teammate into a slimy hug. " _How are we going to get back?"_

Talonflame tried not to look—or feel—too uncomfortable. " _Uh, I brought your Pokeball. Hope you don't mind. We can use the transport system to get back to Johto, where we have a few escorts to help us."_

" _Oh, I see. Lead the way!"_

* * *

Buizel stroked his forehead repeatedly, attempting to rid himself of the unpleasant sweat that clung to his fur reminding him of how Buneary used to cling to Pikachu.

But all jokes and gossip aside, the situation was less than ideal and didn't seem to be fixing itself anytime soon.

Fire was still prevalent on the streets. Whatever incendiary those Grunts used earlier was definitely long-lasting and effective. It had been discovered earlier that in certain parts of the town, the flames would scatter when Water-Type moves were used against them. Before word was spread around for everyone _not_ to use Hydro Pump and Aqua Jet against the source of Buizel's growing headache, the Sea Weasel Pokemon could honestly say that their impromptu band of voluntary firefighters did more harm than good.

Imagine their surprise when the Water-Type instructed his band of merry 'mons to use Bubble on the flames. Most of them had forgotten the move years ago.

And since the surrounding forest caught on fire, the evacuation had become a game of time. Most of Ash's Mt. Silver team had come back to facilitate, but even their efforts didn't stop houses from collapsing on themselves.

Surprisingly, Ash's mother's house had been one of the only unaffected buildings in the town. Garchomp had arrived in time to use Sandstorm to stifle out any approaching flames. Delia had been both grateful and delightfully impressed because Mr. Mime's barriers were starting to wear down in the presence of the heatwave of destruction around them.

Which was a relief, because Bulbasaur's sanity was on the verge of spontaneous combustion.

The Grass and Poison-Type had, obviously, become the self-appointed leader, but that didn't stop stress from radiating off his teammate in contagious gamma rays that instantly sucked all motivation out of anyone nearby.

Which may or may not have been the reason Buizel was feeling so pessimistic.

If only Ash was around…

Anyway.

There was a foreboding sense in the air, but as Quilava took his arm, dragging him down the muddy streets toward the nearest burning building, Buizel promptly forgot about his earlier concerns.

* * *

Infernape kindly reminded his partner that, yes, although there were many monkey-shaped Pokemon that belonged in trees, the Fire and Fighting-Type would much rather keep his burning head away from flammable objects—thank you very much—even when sneakily trailing a suspicious-looking black truck with a prominent red R on both sides.

Torterra shrugged, chuckling as the two made their way up another tree and bush-clad hill. The truck had come to a stop a little ahead of them (the Continent Pokemon caught a glimpse at what seemed to be a sandwich snack break), so he had suggested that they take the time to slowly catch up.

Eventually, even Infernape agreed that a rest stop was beneficial. It had taken the group hours to run down the slope of Mt. Silver (to be honest, it felt more like falling), and it wasn't like the Sinnoh Starters had the chance to sit down in the past day or so.

The Flame Pokemon had started to feel like Ash. At times, he didn't know how such a scrawny-looking presumably ten-year-old ("I don't know how you guys _still_ believe I'm ten," his Trainer would mutter loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear) could travel so far in a single day without passing out.

His friend had a contemplative yet nostalgic look on his face. Infernape knew what the Grass and Ground-Type was thinking.

' _If I save Ash, will he think I'm strong again?'_

As much as Ash liked to believe that he didn't play favorites, it was obvious that the Trainer had a special bond with his more experienced Pokemon. Infernape was lucky to be a part of that circle (even though he had been constantly overshadowed by Charizard—which was perfectly okay), but Torterra had lost all his confidence once he'd first evolved and never fully recovered, which included his confidence around his precious Trainer.

As the truck started moving again, Infernape considered sending his teammate back to Oak's Corral as a safety precaution but reconsidered.

Smiling reassuringly at the Grass-Type, the Flame Pokemon beckoned his friend to follow, using his fire to light up the night sky like a lantern for the two travelers.

* * *

" _Did you find him?"_ Charizard asked, hovering over the tops of trees with a leisurely flap of his reptilian wings. Smoke billowed in his face, stinging his eyes.

" _I could definitely use my nose if it wasn't for that overbearing smell of smoke,"_ Sceptile wheezed. " _It's messing with my senses. And my thinking."_

The Fire and Flying-Type laughed, barrel rolling in the air and letting himself glide circles around his teammate. " _You sound like Ash when he complains about Unova. It wasn't really that bad, y'know. Just got a bit dizzy for days at a time: y'know, that feeling when you know your brain's not working but there's literally nothing you can do abou—"_

" _Forget about me;_ _ **you**_ _sound like Ash,"_ the Forest Pokemon grumbled.

Greninja remained silent, scanning the horizon with his eyes in an attempt to find his Trainer. Smoke fumes from the city made it harder for the bipedal frog to see anything.

A rustling sound caught the Water-Type's attention, and he whirled around, catching a glimpse of yellow among dead leaves and other forms of once-lush vendure that surrounded the group.

" _Pikachu?"_ he asked.

" _Oi, Rodent!"_ Charizard exclaimed, catching sight of his teammate, " _where in Kanto did you run off to?"_

" _Don't try to escape,"_ Sceptile added on with an all-knowing smirk. " _You're thinking of using Substitute to distract us while you Dig away, aren't you?"_

A small chuckle from Greninja's left surprised him. The Mouse Pokemon leaped out of a browning bush, landing next to the Water-Type and saluting militaristically.

" _Nice seeing you guys,"_ the Electric-Type replied, grinning mischievously.

Sceptile turned around to face his teammate, crossing his arms and tilting his head down toward the Mouse Pokemon. " _You didn't actually find Gary, did you."_ The inflection in the Grass-Type's tone made his accusation sound more like a statement than a question.

" _Nope."_

" _Then what were you doing?"_ Charizard asked.

" _I've been trying to disable the prison he's being held in,"_ Pikachu answered, cavalier to the obvious annoyance directed at him by the Grass-Type in front of him. " _Found him a few minutes ago but the fire was getting close and I had to be creative about that."_

" _So you're at least trying to keep him safe,"_ Sceptile remarked. " _Why didn't you set him free yet?"_

"' _Cause he'll run off to save everyone, of course!"_ Pikachu exclaimed, waving his arms exasperatedly to emphasize his point. " _He's an idiot, remember?!"_

" _Like Trainer, like Pokémon,"_ Sceptile muttered under his breath, much to Greninja's amusement. The Water-Type began to take controlled breaths, hoping that his teammates didn't notice his occasional bouts of silent laughter.

" _Plus,"_ the Mouse Pokémon huffed, " _there's an alarm system that I haven't finished dismantling."_

" _Fair enough,"_ Charizard remarked, bringing his clawed hands to his hips. " _Why don't you let us help?"_

* * *

Gary, Clemont, and Clemont's adorable little sister (the Viridian Gym Leader decided that it was best _not_ to get on her bad side) sat on a once-vacant bench in the stadium, waiting for the pandemonium outside to settle down. Rocket Grunts patrolled the halls—there was always at least one person clad in black glaring at the trio as they huddled behind Clemont's laptop, watching as lights flashed and programming was typed out with nimble fingers. The Kalosian Gym Leader didn't let his eyes leave the screen while he muttered bits of code under his breath. Gary thought it was impressive.

"Hurry up, big brother!" Bonnie spoke up softly, nudging the teen's arm with her elbow. "Ash isn't going to wait forever, you know!"

"Bonnie, be patient! I'm at work here!" Clemont scolded his sister. Next to him, Gary tried to call his gramps using his PokeGear, scowling a little when he was met with voicemail.

"Your eyebrows get all scrunchy when you're frustrated," Bonnie remarked.

The researcher sighed, feeling the weight of defeat rest on his shoulders. "Thanks."

Clemont, on the other hand, didn't respond.

"Whatcha doing anyway?" Gary asked, leaning over to see the screen, where lines of numbers, letters, and symbols flocked together to create lines of incoherent messages.

Clemont ran his fingers through his hair absentmindedly, sighing as the words on the screen started to flash a dark red. With a sigh, the Lumiose City Gym Leader started a new line of code. "I'm programming a simulation. Taking into account the Trainers in the stadium and their Pokemons' estimated levels, we can predict if we can be victorious against Team Rocket."

"Don't forget to include Lance's stash of Full Restores," the other Gym Leader remarked, raising a finger.

"I hope you're joking."

"I don't know whether I should wish I was."

"Hush!" Bonnie reprimanded the two teens, her eyes following the path of another Grunt.

"Will the medicine really significantly affect the situation, though?"

"Believe me, it will. Rumor has it that he usually keeps five Full Restores per Pokémon for various potential battles he gets into."

"On hand?" Bonnie asked. "That's a lot."

The bench beneath the three Trainers creaked as Clemont suddenly leaned forward in his seat, typing furiously. A maniacal grin spread slowly over his face as the lowest line of symbols flashed green. "This...might just work!"

* * *

" _Hello! You're Goodra, right?"_ the Butterfree asked. " _It's nice to meet you."_

Next to him, another Bug and Flying-Type with a pink plumage waved shyly. It was obvious that they'd never seen—nevertheless met a Dragon-Type like the one standing in front of them.

In the water, a sleek, blue dinosaur-like Pokémon with a rounded shell waited for them, treading water lazily. " _What took you so long?"_ Lapras asked, greeting the newcomer with a friendly smile and a finned wave.

" _Professor Sycamore was quite confused when we broke into his lab in the middle of the day,"_ Talonflame explained. " _Had to convince Mega Garchomp that we didn't mean any harm and everything. Luckily, he recognized us."_

" _Sounds eventful,"_ Lapras remarked before gesturing to her back. " _Now hop on! Let's not keep your Trainer waiting much longer."_

* * *

Gary walked carefully to the bold white demarcation that marked the center of the dirt field. Next to him, Lance the Dragon Master strolled proudly, letting his ornate cape billow behind him.

"You sure you want to do this?" the Gym Leader asked, fingering his broken pendant between his thumb and pointer finger nervously.

The Elite Four Member nodded slightly, staring blankly at the people in the crowd.

"I am."

He tossed an Ultra Ball into the air, smiling softly at the Dragonite that appeared in a flash of white light.

"To the faithful citizens of Kanto and our wonderful guests from other regions," Lance addressed the crowd, raising his voice to a roar and spreading his arms out. In front of him, Dragonite roared for effect.

"I sincerely apologize for recent events and assure you that our new Champion is not one to take likely. So let's all," he paused, turning around to address everyone, "have faith in him."

Gary watched as, Trainers, Coordinators, children, Pokemon, and even Team Rocket Grunts turned to watch the man in silence. The Gym Leader realized that he had become enthralled in his powerful words and sheer conviction.

"But I plead you my last request as the Champion of Kanto: to unite with me in a battle against the darkness of this world. Together, we will end Team Rocket!"

The Viridian City Gym Leader couldn't help but join in the sudden cheering in the stadium. As Lance released his full team, Gary did the same, watching as Umbreon, Aerodactyl, Arcanine, and Blastoise materialized in front of him, each bearing similar looks of confidence.

"Charge!" Lance roared, raising a fist into the air. His dragons called in response, taking flight into the air.

A woman to the teen's left chuckled as she took a battle stance alongside her Pidgey, Tangela, Parasect, and Butterfree. "Kanto is certainly special," she remarked. "In no other region would something like this happen: our Champion is in trouble and we're going to help him!"

Behind her, a man in a business suit stood behind his Poliwhirl, Kingler, Spearow, and Koffing, facing a Rocket Grunt with a determined look on his face. "Our Champion is Kanto's representative!" he shouted. "We won't let you take him!"

A youngster and his two Rattata grinned from ear to ear as he ordered his two companions to use Bite. "Our Champion is strong, and so are we!"

In just a mere minute, the heart of a Trainer burned brightly as an explosion of patriotism propelled his fellow citizens to protect their land.

* * *

Goodra steadied himself, glaring at the burning buildings with steely resolve. The sight of rows of houses on fire reminded him too much of his own experience as a Goomy, watching his home crumble in perilous flames.

In front of him, Bulbasaur smiled wearily. " _It's nice to meet you,"_ the Grass and Poison-Type spoke up, " _even if it would have been better under different circumstances."_

" _Do I know you?"_ Butterfree asked, landing on the Dragon-Type's slimy head.

Bulbasaur was too busy walking away with his head down to reply.

" _He seems a little familiar,"_ the Bug and Flying-Type explained, moving a paw to his mouth in contemplation. " _I can't place it, but I think I've met him before…"_

" _Maybe he has one of_ _ **those**_ _faces, honey,"_ his mate reasoned.

" _Yeah. Maybe."_

Goodra closed his eyes, gathering energy inside him. It had been a while since he last used the move, but the familiar pull in his gut and the life energy he gathered felt as powerful as ever.

A drop of wet liquid landed on his cheek. Smiling softly, the dragon lifted his chin and directed his power toward the sky. The sky darkened, lightning flashed dangerously, and it began to rain.

A deluge of water poured from the sky, dousing everyone in sight. The heavens rumbled in the form of thunder. Pidgey swarmed the air, using Sand Attack in large waves until mud covered the face of the concrete roads and brick-clad buildings that once constituted Pallet Town. People and Pokemon of all Types became drenched in the cold, refreshing shower that snuffed out the last of the flames and caused a small flood.

Goodra, soaked in mud, began to laugh. Next to him, Dewott whooped with joy, dancing shamelessly as he splashed in puddles (to the amusement of Servine).

Meganium emerged from a building, smiling brightly. The Grass-Type closed her eyes, making her surroundings glow a peaceful green. Colonies of moss and grass emerged from the ground.

" _So?"_ Talonflame asked, hovering in the air _. "Did you find him?"_

" _Now that you mention it, I do sense something weird,"_ the Dragon Pokemon replied.

" _What is it?"_

" _There's an unnatural chemical composition in the air a bit west from here,"_ Goodra explained, raising his ears in the air _, "even though there aren't supposed to be functioning buildings anywhere near here. The electricity is off, right?"_

" _Yep. The power lines have been cut down."_

" _Feels like a standard zinc-carbon galvanic cell."_

" _ **Huh?**_ "

" _Nothing."_

Butterfree, seeing the contemplative look on his new friend's face, pointed toward the west. " _Let's go find your Trainer."_

* * *

Ash didn't realize he had dozed off until a loud cracking sound jolted him awake, flinging his head backward in an attempt to take in his surroundings and banging it against the curved, glass wall. His hands reflexively shot up to massage the injured spot, making the Trainer lose his balance and slump against his prison yet again with a groan.

He had expected the machine above his head—the one that had refused to stop beeping for the inestimable amount of time he'd been stuck in the tube—to have done something by now, but the gray box of flashing lights and weird liquids connected to it remained stationary.

By now, the smoke Ash smelled had stopped being labeled as a figment of his imagination by his mind and had become a probable threat. He had no idea if Bulbasaur and Noctowl had managed to stop the fire from spreading, although it seemed like something significant had happened, judging from the consistent sound of Pidgey pecking at the roof (in other words, rain). The heavy downpour caused the air inside the cylindrical tube to be humid and stuffy, reminding the Trainer of the lack of air present.

He hadn't really stopped to think about it yet: that he'd somehow won against his home region's prestigious Elite Four and become the new Champion of Kanto.

Ash was half sure that he'd decided to take the challenge on a whim. Only shows that if you put effort into something, the results can be anything.

He looked around, repetitively punching weakly at the glass wall. Yeah, the results can be _anything_. (Which happens to include being kidnapped by an international criminal organization and having your hometown burned to the ground.)

There was a knocking sound coming from Ash's left. The Trainer braced himself, struggling to his knees and positioning himself in a battle-ready stance. He raised his arms, and—

A purple insect with white and black wings fluttered in.

"Butterfree?" Ash asked cautiously, his voice hoarse. "Is t-that you?"

The Butterfly Pokemon froze in his tracks and stared bug-eyed at the teen.

" _ASH?!"_

" _You know him?!"_ Talonflame screeched, landing beside her new friend in something like awed wonder.

Butterfree turned to the Fire and Flying-Type. " _I…"_ he trailed off, " _I even met Bulbasaur without recognizing him! And we were at Pallet Town, too—how could I forget?!"_

The Scorching Pokemon looked like she was going to faint as she faced the confused look of her Trainer. " _He was your Pokemon?! You were once incompetent?! How?!"_

"Uh, I can't understand you, Talonflame—and no, it's not a joke this time—but Butterfree was the first Pokemon I caught. Now, can you two help—"

" _It's very nice to meet one of Ash's original team members!"_ the Fire and Flying-Type suddenly exclaimed, shaking Butterfree's paws with her wings excitedly _. "The first Pokemon of Kanto's newest Champion—wow, I don't know how you're not a celebrity!"_

" _A-Ash is the Champion of Kanto?! There must be a mistake! How did_ _ **that**_ _happen?!"_

Pikachu ran into the room, skidding to a halt at the door. " _Out, everyone! There's still a defense mechanism in place!"_

It was too late, it seemed, because a bright pink cloud of smoke had permeated throughout the clear container from the machine above his head. The Electric-Type huffed as his Trainer immediately covered his mouth and nose in a last-minute attempt not to breathe in the substance but quickly gave a pained shout and fell to the ground in a noiseless slumber.

Pikachu turned around. " _Charizard!"_ he shouted, " _Sceptile! Greninja! He's down!"_

The other Fire and Flying Pokemon appeared in the doorway, peeking into the room. " _Wha…oh. This is bad."_

" _Is it the Type Glass you were telling me about?"_ his Hoenn-native companion asked, pushing the giant lizard through the door frame so the Grass-Type could enter. Charizard stumbled, muttering a string of incoherent words to himself before making way for his teammate to pass through the narrow corridor.

" _Yeah,"_ he affirmed, bearing a slightly annoyed look. " _We need to hit it with a consistent stream of attacks at a single spot, but we have to make sure that the moves are effective against the Type."_

Pikachu gingerly walked up to his Trainer and poked at the cylindrical container with his tail. " _It's probably Ghost-Type,"_ the Electric-Type surmised, " _given that Ash's Aura is Fighting-Type and how Humans are generally associated with the Normal Typing."_

Greninja appeared in the middle of the room silently, crossing his arms and scaring Butterfree halfway to death _. "So_ _ **this**_ _is what's blocking the connection,"_ he spoke up. " _I'll keep that in mind for further reference. We're close enough now for it to work now, though."_ He turned around to address the other Pokemon in the room, letting his stoic gaze fall on everyone else present in the room _. "The guy says he's fine, even though he's not, but that doesn't really matter because I'm suddenly feeling very tired. Goodnight."_

The Water and Dark-Type promptly propped himself against the corner of the room and fell asleep.

" _Greninja!"_ Talonflame exclaimed in worry, flying to her teammate.

Pikachu closed his eyes in a futile attempt to rid himself of the sudden dizziness he was experiencing. " _Charizard, Talonflame, use Flamethrower,"_ he instructed, pointing a small finger toward where he presumed the glass to be. "Sceptile, Leaf Storm. Don't forget to keep the distribution even."

The Electric-Type opened his eyes, blinking wearily and turning his head to face Butterfree's shocked expression. " _It's been a while, hasn't it?"_ he asked. " _A lot has happened."_

" _A lot has happened,"_ the Butterfly Pokemon repeated, his eyes wide. " _Charmander's a Charizard! That's a Sceptile! And I've never seen those other two in my life."_

Pikachu chuckled nostalgically as his teammates fired their attacks at the glass demarcation. " _We've been places. Seen a lot, did a lot, you know?"_

" _That's an understatement."_

The Electric-Type's smile widened. " _If you stay a bit, we can catch up—once this is all over, of course. I'll show you all our new friends and all his hard-earned Gym Badges,"_ he offered.

Butterfree's eyes lit up. " _That'd be great, old mate. You won't mind if my mate stays too, would you? She's back at Pallet Town, helping everyone clean up."_

" _We'll be glad to have her. But first, let's get our lovable idiot out of the predicament he walked himself into."_

* * *

As Butterfree turned toward the glass once more, a single question lingered in his mind.

" _Wait a sec. Ash actually earns his Gym Badges now?!"_

Talonflame doubled over in shock, critically offended. " _What is_ _ **that**_ _supposed to mean?!"_

* * *

 **See you next illusion.**


	37. Chapter 37

**I'm back.**

 **Anyway, here is the next chapter. I'll try to update either in the next three weeks or next month.**

 **That being said, I believe I only have one or two chapters left. It's been a fun ride, hasn't it? I even laugh at my own jokes as I'm proofreading (and as InfernalFox is also proofreading), and that's...pretty sad.**

 **No one got my Kaito 1412 reference from the end of the last chapter, and that was just disappointing. If you couldn't tell from the stories I've been favoriting recently - I doubt you've even noticed, 'cause who checks author bios for fun? (I do) - I've found a great fandom.**

 **You know, I'm really glad Ash's shipping war has died down.**

 **Also, if anyone has a good college essay they'd like to share with me, it'd be very appreciated. Especially if you're going to a school like Rice, Carnegie, Cornell, or Harvard.**

 **(Did you know that you could pretty much figure out where I live from my fanfiction alone? It's pretty creepy.)**

 **(I'll give out one last hint: "The Other Side.")**

 **That...didn't help, did it.**

* * *

Explosions and shouts decorated the night.

The land was like a war: the people and Pokemon turned on each other and brawled until they passed out. Helicopters stormed the night sky and men in black dropped from parachutes, calling their Pokemon to battle. Kanto rained, hailed, and thundered. Sandstorms raged Indigo Plateau as streams of energy bathed the stadium in an ominous light.

In the middle of the chaos, two Trainers fought, covering each other's backs.

"Aerodactyl, Stone Edge!" Gary shouted, his throat burning. "Umbreon, Shadow Ball! Arcanine, Fire Blast! Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"

Clemont clenched his teeth, pointing at a Team Rocket Grunt and the horde of Zubats that stood in front of him. "Luxray, Thunder! Chespin, Pin Missile! Bunnelby, Dig!"

Lightning arced across the field, electrocuting a Beedrill.

"Good job, Dedenne!" Bonnie complimented her partner, giving the Antenna Pokemon a thumbs-up.

"Bonnie!" Clemont yelled, surprised. "Be careful!"

"I'm okay, bro!"

"Gyarados, Twister!" Misty called out, sending her Water and Flying-Type into battle.

May grinned, pumping a fist in the air. "High Jump Kick, Blaziken!"

Brock squinted at the sight. "Steelix, keep up the Sandstorm!"

"Don't give up, Piplup!" Dawn instructed. "Use Whirlpool! Mamoswine, Ice Beam!"

Serena smiled, standing next to Iris with a confident smile. "Sylveon!" she shouted, striking a pose. "Fairy Wind!"

* * *

He was awakened by the desperate calls and summoned by the light.

" _Arceus forbid I go shut them all up,"_ Lugia, Guardian of the Seas, grumbled. " _What in Regigigas would be going on at Indigo Plateau...in the_ _middle of the night_ _?!"_

* * *

"Pikapi!"

Light streamed from all sides of his vision.

"Pikapi!"

It blinded him, pulling him from the comfort of the darkness.

" _Jeez, Ash, you idiot! You're going to be late!"_

A Thunderbolt promptly shocked the Trainer out of his beauty sleep. With a shout of well-deserved pain, the teen fell from his couch onto the wooden floor with a resounding thud.

"Late?" he muttered, mostly to himself. "For _what_?"

" _It's the first day of your new job,"_ a voice that sounded suspiciously like Sceptile rasped. " _You're supposed to give a speech at Indigo Plateau."_

As Ash opened his eyes, he was greeted with the concerned looks of his Pokemon staring down at him.

Vivi the Eevee bounced lively on the Trainer's stomach, knocking all the air out of the young teen. " _I've never been to a speech before! Is it fun?!"_

" _No,"_ Charizard replied bluntly, crossing his arms and looking away.

" _Greninja's already left for Kalos,"_ Gallade informed the Trainer. " _Goodra left with him."_

Buizel, who had taken residence on the couch that Ash once occupied, looked down from his vantage point at his Trainer. " _How? Did they run on water or something?"_

" _Nah,"_ Pikachu answered. " _Greninja insisted on taking the plane. He took the money out of Ash's account."_

Ash suddenly sat up, fully awake. "He did _what_?!"

" _Ash, you have a job, now,"_ Sceptile reminded his Trainer. " _One that you're going to be late to if you don't get off your stupid b—"_

"What happened, by the way?" the teen asked, standing up. It was then that he noticed that his clothes from the Elite Four Challenge were both scorched and covered in soot.

" _Pallet Town is...completely burned down,"_ Staraptor reported, appearing through a nearby open window. " _Except your house, somehow. We'll…explain that later when you're_ _not_ _doing something important."_

" _Leavanny's got your clothes for the day,"_ Sceptile informed. " _I hope you're comfortable in a tux."_

" _You also need a shower,"_ Charizard remarked. " _I don't think I only speak for myself when I say that you_ _stink_ _."_

Ash sighed, letting his head droop. "Thanks, Charizard."

He looked around, his eyes falling on the computer monitor and cup of cold coffee on the nearby desk. "Also, does Gary _know_ we took over his Gym?"

* * *

As the Trainer stared at his reflection in the mirror above the bathroom sink, he let his attention be drawn elsewhere. The events of the day before were foggy in Ash's mind, and he had a splitting headache that was figuratively tearing apart his consciousness.

 _What_ _happened_ _?_

A strong knock at the door broke the teen out of his thoughts.

" _If you're not at Indigo Plateau in ten minutes, Alola's going to think you're incompetent so they won't trade with us!"_ Sceptile threatened.

"Yeah, right!" Ash shouted back, adjusting his tie and glaring at his face in the reflective glass.

" _Nine minutes!"_

* * *

Sunny skies and white, fluffy clouds blessed Indigo Plateau that day. A crowd of immeasurable number had gathered at the giant stadium towering above the rest of Kanto. Political figures, celebrities, and Trainers from nearby regions were arriving from the air, dotting the sky as they arrived on their airborne Pokemon.

Lance leaned back in his chair, letting a foot rest on his knee casually as he gazed at the scene from the press box. Today, he was present not as the former Champion of Kanto, but the representative of Johto.

"Whatcha doing?" a feminine voice asked. The Dragon Master turned his head to see Cynthia, dressed in her usual black attire. She had her hands on her hips and a smug grin on her face.

"Relaxing."

"Is that it?" the other Champion asked.

"Yes."

The Sinnohian Champion sat down next to her coworker. "Did you get to see Pallet Town last night?" she asked.

"No," Lance replied. "Kanto fought Team Rocket. So did I."

The Dragon-Type Trainer's eyes followed his fellow Champion's gaze to the press box entrance, where Agatha had entered.

"The Champion is late," she remarked.

Behind her, Bruno laughed heartily. "Cut him some slack, will you? His hometown just burned down. _And_ he got kidnapped."

"What kind of a Champion gets kidnapped?" Agatha asked, scowling.

"Hey, if _I_ just beat the Elite Four, my Pokemon wouldn't exactly be in perfect health, you know."

The Ghost-Type Trainer sighed, letting a rare genuine smile show on her face. "I'm joking. The future of Kanto is in good hands…even if our Champion happens to have a punctuality issue."

The door behind them opened with a creak, and Lorelei walked in.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized. "Where's Ash?"

"Not here," Lance replied.

"Doesn't the speech start in five minutes?" the Ice-Type user asked.

"Yes."

"Isn't that a problem?"

"Yes," Agatha answered.

"Where's the Champion of Hoenn?" Cynthia asked.

The Ghost-Type Trainer huffed.

"Ah, please don't forget about me!" a voice spoke up. Steven Stone stepped out from behind the door, carrying a confident smile. He was wearing a cuffed business suit with a red tie, complete with a silver pin holding his Key Stone.

"I see that we're all here..." he remarked, "besides Kanto's Champion, that is. Uh, we're still gonna start on time, right?"

* * *

" _Ash, you literally have one minute!"_ Charizard yelled.

" _What,"_ Pidgeot replied, " _You can't get him there in a minute?_ _I_ _can."_

" _Ouch,"_ Leavanny remarked as he continued his attempt at untangling his Trainer's hair.

" _Ouch is right,"_ Ash muttered, wincing and letting his eyes close before they widened in realization. " _Oh wait, I don't have a speech prepared!"_

Gallade brought the tip of his swordlike arm to his forehead, exasperated. " _Bushnoodles! Too late."_

" _Thirty seconds,"_ Sceptile reminded everyone. " _Gallade,_ _go_ _!"_

* * *

The stadium was filled with people and Pokemon alike. Even when the seats were filled, Trainers rode their airborne Pokemon and sat in the field outside the stadium, watching the event from the outside. Colorful hot-air balloons floated in the sky and picnic blankets spread across the grass. All eyes were on the center of the battlefield, where a stage hosted a podium and a microphone, awaiting a speaker. Behind it, Roxie—the Unovian Poison-Type Gym Leader—and her band played an electrifying tune.

At exactly 10:00, a beam of white light engulfed the stadium. Spectators shielded their eyes, blinded by its sheer brightness and power.

"To everyone: both Pokemon and Humans alike," Ash's voice reverberated throughout the stadium. "Welcome to Indigo Plateau."

As the glow disappeared, the crowd erupted into cheers as they saw the Trainer standing behind the podium, gazing confidently into the stands.

"We share a world," Ash began. "We share it with friends. Family. People and Pokemon. And together, we are tasked to protect. We are given a mission to defend it from the evils of this world: from the cruel, the unjust, and the evil."

* * *

"He actually showed up," Misty whispered to Brock. "I thought he'd be resting from that ordeal yesterday."

The former Pewter Gym Leader crossed his arms, letting a sincere smile show on his face. "We should have more faith in him," he suggested. "He _is_ the representative of Kanto."

* * *

Ash raised his head to face the audience.

"Everyone has hopes, dreams, and aspirations. We have truths and ideals to protect. We have visions of tomorrow: a better world, a more united community, a brighter future."

He paused.

"Tomorrow, there will be battles. There will be wounds and scars. There will be farewells. But tomorrow is also the home of opportunity. It is a guardian of hope and promise."

"And as the Champion of Kanto, I vow to protect this hope we call 'tomorrow.'"

* * *

As the entire region erupted in cheers and applause, Ash turned to his Electric-Type partner, who had climbed onto the Trainer's shoulder.

"How was it?" he asked.

" _You have nice improvisation skills,"_ Pikachu complimented him. " _I'm impressed."_

A grin crossed the teen's face. "Nah. I just rambled, to be honest. Plus, that 'tomorrow' spiel was recycled."

" _Oh yeah. You said something like that to Lysandre."_

Ash nodded, watching as the Elite Four descended from their posts to shake hands with the new Champion.

"I'm looking forward to working with you," Lorelei spoke up.

"Likewise," Bruno said in agreement.

Agatha smirked. "I'm glad you could make it to your own ceremony, _Champion_."

Ash shivered involuntarily at the Ghost-Type user's words.

Lance chuckled deeply. "Don't mind her too much. We're glad you're here. By the way, you're going to the reception, right?"

"What reception?" Ash asked.

"Reception?" Pikachu echoed, mostly to himself.

"Seems like you haven't been told much. It starts at six, tonight," the Dragon Master informed, "in Saffron City, hosted by Silph."

"It's not optional, is it?" Ash was almost too afraid to ask.

"Only in your dreams, Champion," Agatha answered.

* * *

Kukui felt himself nodding off. He had planned to stay awake to watch that event Sycamore and Juniper were so excited about: they'd ended their video call because the two researchers both expressed a strong desire to watch whatever ceremony Kanto was broadcasting. Oak didn't even show up to the meeting.

But it was okay if he missed it, right?

"Woof!" the Rockruff living with him chirped, jumping on the Pokemon Professor's back and jolting him awake.

"You're right, Rockruff," Kukui muttered. "If even Rowan is interested, there must be something important going on. He's rarely interested in the affairs of other regions, you know."

"Woof!"

In the end, the Professor ended up falling asleep before the television screen, too tired to keep his eyes open. The Rockruff promptly settled on curling up in the tired researcher's lap, watching his future Trainer's speech with excitement.

* * *

That afternoon, Ash crashed at the Viridian City Gym and fell asleep to the clacking of Gary's fingers furiously typing on his keyboard.

"Are you sure it was Hoopa?" the researcher was asking.

" _I'm positive,"_ Pikachu replied.

"Like absolutely sure?"

" _Yes,"_ the Electric-Type replied, exasperated.

" _That would be pretty cool if I knew what a Hoopa was,"_ Butterfree remarked, fluttering around the monitor. He turned to Gary with a speculative look in his eyes.

" _Wait,_ _you're_ _the guy who vandalized the Cerulean City sign, right?"_ he asked. " _You wrote, 'Gary was here' or something like that. Ash used to complain about you."_

"Don't remind me," the Gym Leader replied with a groan. "Just like your Trainer, I had some pretty stupid moments as a rookie."

The Flying and Bug-Type frowned slightly, landing on the couch where Ash was resting. " _Is it_ _really_ _true that he made it to the Indigo League?"_

Umbreon, who had been curled up in his Trainer's lap, yawned. "Butterfree, he's the _Champion_."

" _That's like, too much for me to handle."_

" _Hopeless,"_ Nidoqueen remarked.

" _No, I'm serious here! Are you sure this is the same Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town?"_

"If he wasn't from Pallet Town, he'd be lying to half the people he meets on the streets," Gary spoke up. "Wait, Pikachu. I need clarification: you met a Shaymin that… _wasn't..._ nice?"

 _"Well, she was a bit of a brat to Ash. But if she heard me say that, I'd be cursed for eternity or something."_

Umbreon sat up, blocking his Trainer's view of the computer monitor and receiving an annoyed look from said Researcher. " _Has he been to his new office, yet?"_ he asked, referring to the teen that was currently asleep on the nearby couch.

" _Yeah,"_ Pikachu replied. " _Sceptile and Garchomp are currently sparring in the training facility in the government building."_

" _And Charizard?"_

" _Went back to the Charicific Valley to see his girlfriend, of course."_

A loud, resounding _ding_ rang throughout the building. From afar, the Gym Leader could hear a challenger walk—no, skip—in. Loud cheers could be heard from his lobby before a young boy's voice shouted, "I'm here to challenge the Viridian City Gym!"

Gary stood up almost immediately, turning off this computer and causing his Dark-Type partner to fall to the wooden floor with a yelp. "I need Wooper, Golem, Nidoking, Flygon, and Scizor!" he shouted.

Umbreon snickered. " _Wait, you actually caught that thing?"_ he asked, picking himself off the floor. " _The crybaby you found in the stadium?"_

"Shut up, or _you'll_ be the next crybaby in the stadium."

" _Cute,"_ Pikachu remarked.

" _It's a pity the Gyms opened an hour ago,"_ Butterfree spoke up. " _I thought today was a holiday."_

"The inauguration motivates young Trainers to work harder," Gary explained, taking off his lab coat to reveal a black polo shirt and a pair of dark-colored khaki pants. "At least, that's what my old boss used to tell me."

" _Ash could change that, right?"_ the Flying and Bug-Type asked.

" _His first day in the office isn't until tomorrow, even though he's considered the 'Champion,'"_ Pikachu explained.

"Mister Oak!" the challenger called out from afar. "Are you here?"

The Gym Leader sighed deeply for what seemed like the umpteenth time before turning to Ash's two Pokemon. "I'll be going, now. Wanna come watch?"

* * *

" _So?"_ Torterra asked. " _How did Ash take it? I'm assuming it was a 'yes,' judging from…you know, but still."_ He paused. " _It would be a huge change for all of us."_

" _It was an immediate affirmative,"_ Infernape replied. " _The Tauros are coming here as we speak, ready to Bulldoze the land down."_

" _And the inhabitants are okay with it?"_ the Grass and Ground-Type questioned.

" _They're actually pretty excited,"_ Servine spoke up, appearing behind the Sinnohian duo. " _As long as we don't bother them too much and share the space, they'll be happy to let us stay. Of course, we're making sure that we grow plenty of trees for them as a…sort of payment, I guess."_

Next to her, Buizel crossed his arms, examining the blueprint in front of him. " _Plus, they're looking forward to sparring with us. Especially the Graveler."_

Quilava nodded. " _I'm pretty excited as well!"_ she exclaimed with a genuine smile. " _It'll be like camping!"_

As she finished her train of thought, a miniature earthquake rocked the forest. Pidgey and Spearow alike escaped from the cover of the trees and ground-dwelling Bug and Grass-Types scurried out of the way of a herd of thirty Tauros, all carrying various bits of communication equipment and/or furniture strapped to their backs.

Daro, who was casually carrying a couch (with a lamp and three chairs String Shot-ed to it), was leading the pack and treading not-so-carefully on the forest floor.

" _It seems too soon to face that stupid mountain,"_ he remarked, raising his head to stare at the towering, icy peak of Mt. Silver, bathing in the light of the afternoon sun. " _C'mon, y'all. Let's beat up this piece of rock."_

* * *

"Thank you all for helping me. It's kinda embarrassing when my sisters leave the place so messy and all."

"No problem! We have nothing better to do, anyway," Dawn replied, patting her friend on the back as she walked past.

"You know what? Why don't you all join me at the reception tonight?" Misty announced, beaming. "It's formal and all, but you all should be fine, given that half of you dress up as an occupation, anyway."

Five girls were relaxing in the vicinity of the Cerulean Gym's water battlefield. While the Gym Leader herself cleaned the pool, her companions were leisurely mopping the floor, checking under the benches for bits of trash, and making lemonade in the nearby kitchen.

"You sure?" May asked, poking her head out from behind a plastic seat. "Isn't it meant for like, celebrities?"

"Ha!" Iris exclaimed. The Unovian Dragon-Type Trainer was scrubbing mud stains off the tiled floor. "Don't you consistently appear in fashion magazines?" she asked.

"Yeah," Serena agreed heartily. "You're the 'Princess of Hoenn!'"

"Which makes Drew the 'Prince of Hoenn,' it seems," Dawn whispered not-so-discreetly.

"Dawn!" May groaned, placing her hands on her hips and letting her trash bag drop to the ground beside her. "There is nothing going on between us. Not like you and Kenny!"

"Who's Kenny?" Misty asked, genuinely interested.

The Sinnohian Coordinator seemed a little tense as she smiled awkwardly at her friends. "He's…no one important."

"C'mon!" He practically confessed to you! And what did you do? Instead of going on a romantic journey with him, you went to cheer on Ash!"

"Okay, I _had_ to repay him for cheering for me at my conte—"

" _That_ kid?" Iris suddenly interrupted. "Speaking of the _dunce_ , he'll be at the reception, right?"

"Think so," the Gym Leader replied. "He's probably crashing at Gary Oak's Gym right now, but knowing those two Pallet Town Trainers, Ash'll probably end up being dragged there unwillingly."

Iris smirked, turning to eye a certain Kalosian Performer. "Oh _really_?"

Serena immediately buried her steaming face in her hands. "IRI—"

"Oh, wow," Misty spoke up. "You like Ash?"

Silence filled the room. Three-fifths of the room's population started to give each other weird looks.

The Gym Leader turned to face her companions. She dropped the pole of the skimmer net, letting the piece of cleaning equipment clang as it bounced on the ground. "You know, Serena," Misty began, trailing off slightly. "Trust me. He's a hopeless cause."

"Don't worry," Iris whispered to the Performer, loud enough so that her voice reverberated throughout the room, "Misty traveled with him _years_ ago. Hardly any competition, eh?"

With that, the Water-Type Trainer burst into uncontrolled laughter, clutching her sides as she fought to regain her balance. "Me, with Ash?! Even _Tracey's_ a better choice if you ask me!"

"Your sisters definitely think you two are dating," May spoke up, grinning. "They told me about that one Luvdisc adventure you had, and I thought it was pretty romantic. Just saying."

"Am I the only one who thought Misty and Ash liked each other?" Iris asked.

"No," Dawn replied. "Brock's told me some cute stories."

"The most embarrassing years of my life," the Water-Type Trainer grumbled before brightening up significantly. "But ironically, also the most fun in my life. I thought I was going to die, like, literally every other day."

A figurative lightbulb exploded over May's head as she jumped up in excitement. "We need to go shopping!" she suggested. "Does everyone have something to wear to the reception?"

She was met with mixed responses.

"Well, even so, we still need to get Serena a new outfit!" the Princess of Hoenn continued. "Ash'll be there, right?"

Misty shook her head, crossing her arms and smiling genuinely. "Hopeless cause, I tell you. Hopeless cause."

"Yeah," Iris agreed. "I mean, how are you supposed to get him to understand? You'd have to…I dunno, kiss him or something!"

* * *

Ash woke up in a sweat, shivering.

* * *

Dawn tilted her head in contemplation. "Would that even work, though? I mean, he _is_ pretty dense…"

* * *

"Golem, Earthquake!" Gary called out, ignoring the countless strategies that made their way into his mind. The kid had three badges, but the Gym Leader had a feeling that the seemingly ten-year-old (not Ash) was not very…proficient against adversity in battle.

"Magby, use Ember!" the challenger—Gary was pretty sure his name was Kelvin (like, the unit of measurement) or something—demanded, crossing his arms flagrantly and pulling his chin upward arrogantly.

Ah, rookies. The Gym Leader felt a twang of sympathy for the kid—he still felt embarrassed whenever his _own_ ten-year-old self was brought up in conversation.

"Stone Edge! Make a wall!" the Gym Leader called out, his face stoic.

The poor Magby ended up slamming its jaw into a mountain of glowing rock.

"Trust your Pokemon a little more," Gary suggested, snapping his fingers. Golem responded with another Earthquake. ' _Then maybe, you would realize how easy we're going on you,'_ was left unsaid.

"But I _do_ trust my Pokemon!" Kelvin protested.

"Go Kelvin! Go Magby!" Candela (the light-skinned and fair-haired girl would be battling the Viridian City Gym Leader next) cheered from the stands. Next to her, an Illumise mimicked her excitement.

"Is he your brother?" a voice asked.

Candela watched as a dark-haired teenager sat down beside her. He was holding an ice pack to his forehead and a weary expression.

The young girl smiled as the stranger sat down. "No," she replied. "We're just friends."

"Ah," Ash replied before turning away to cough into his shoulder.

"Are you sick?" Candela asked.

"Yeah. Something must've happened yesterday. I was up all night, you know, and the logical part of me thinks I got sprayed with some kind of Poison Powder...or something. Had a killer headache in the morning."

"Well, I hope you feel better."

"Thanks," the other Trainer replied, shifting the ice pack on his forehead and leaning back in his seat. "Tell your friend that Brick Break is a good move to learn. And it hurts, too," he added on, rubbing his side and wincing slightly. "Learning new moves really improves the bond between Trainer and Pokemon."

"Really?" Candela asked. She turned to face the battle (where a well-placed Stone Edge was blocking Magby from proceeding to the other side of the field. "Do you have any tips for Illumise, too?"

"I'm not much of a Bug Catcher, but I think Ice Punch and Water Pulse would be good choices," Ash answered. "They may be hard to teach, though, so you might have to go to a Move Tutor to help."

From the field, Gary was walking over the battlefield to meet up with Kelvin, who had a disheartened look on his face (he'd lost...miserably). "Don't worry," he assured the young Trainer. "Back when the Champion and I were rookies, I'd beat him every time we battled."

"Really?" Kelvin asked, eyes widening in awe.

Candela almost jumped out of her seat as the teenager next to her suddenly stood up and pointed an accusatory finger at the Gym Leader. "Fight me, right now!" he shouted, grinning (before excusing himself and slumping back down in a coughing fit).

Gary ignored his childhood friend. "You kind of remind me of him," he added sagely, addressing his Challenger. "Hard-headed, arrogant, loud. But there's one difference: his Pokemon have mellowed him out. Now, it's like he's a different person altogether."

Kelvin looked confused as the Gym Leader continued. "In a battle, Pokemon and Humans work together. You've trained your Magby well, but perhaps it's time to look at what _you_ can improve on. And I'll leave that to you to figure out for yourself. The next time you challenge the Viridian City Gym, I'll be waiting with a stronger team."

* * *

As Candela was called up, she recalled her Illumise and skipped happily to the challenger's box. Kelvin ended up sitting next to Ash.

"What time is it?" the older Trainer asked, reaching for the box of tissues next to him.

"Uh, four," Kelvin replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I have somewhere to be at six and it's going to be terrible."

At that moment, a Pidgeot opened the glass doors, walked purposefully up to her Trainer, and dropped the plastic bag of clothes from her beak and was about to walk away when she noticed the tissues.

" _You're sick?"_ she wondered aloud, tilting her head in worry.

"Yeah."

" _You've been overworked."_

"My work starts tomorrow. It's not possible for me to be overworked."

" _I'll ask Meganium to for some medicine,"_ Pidgeot changed the subject. " _Maybe she'll have something for you in an hour or so."_

"Thanks, Pidgeot," Ash replied, moving the ice pack to the side of his head. "You're the best."

With that, the Bird Pokemon began to awkwardly waddle off when—

"AHHH!" Kelvin suddenly shouted, pointing at Ash's face.

"What?" the Pallet Town-native asked. "Is there something on my—"

"YOU'RE ASH KETCHUM!"

* * *

It was around 4:45 in the afternoon and Ash was resting in the forest behind Gary's Gym. The air inside was getting too stuffy for him, anyway, and there were too many people inside that could possibly make his headache more prominent than it already was. He was also on his second ice pack.

"So," he spoke up, mindlessly tapping on the log he leaned against, "who wants to go to the reception? I'm forcing Pikachu to go, but I can take six more…as long as you aren't too big and won't bother anyone else."

" _I have a job interview,"_ Garchomp replied. " _Sorry."_

" _Where?"_ Kingler asked.

" _The Day Care, of course."_

Bulbasaur looked interested. " _I'll go,"_ he volunteered. " _It's been awhile since I've stepped outside of the Pallet Town area. And knowing Totodile, he'd appreciate a good party."_

"Where is he?" Ash asked.

" _Oak's corral. He and Heracross are trying salvage the berry farm."_

Buizel looked contemplative. " _How about Corphish? Quilava and I'll come with him to make sure he won't break a wall or something."_

"Alright. One more, then...what about Scraggy? He's a social guy."

Bulbasaur nodded. " _We'll take care of him."_

"Thanks," Ash replied. "Uh, let's meet here at 5:45. Gallade can Teleport us to Saffron City from there."

* * *

As his Pokemon left the vicinity, the Champion of Kanto crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"Come out. You've been here an hour too long."

With a dark chuckle and the rustling of bushes, Giovanni appeared, taking his time as he sat down next to the Trainer.

"You flatter me: I've only been here for the past thirty minutes. How are you doing?" the Team Rocket Boss asked.

"Great. What about you?"

"I thought my powder would be more effective," Giovanni replied. "But somehow, it started to work _after_ your ceremonial speech this morning. You're pretty resilient."

"Thanks for that, by the way," Ash remarked. Sarcasm oozed from his words.

The businessman shook his head, smiling. "That was only a test, and you've earned my respect: Kanto supports you, even after all of our efforts. That's why I'll stay out of your way."

"What?"

"As long as you work here in this region, all of Team Rocket's actions in Kanto will be legal."

Ash opened his eyes, cleared his throat, and sat up straighter, suddenly interested. He hadn't expected Giovanni to concede his region so easily. Was he being genuine? Or was it a trick?

"How about the other regions?" he asked.

"We're moving our base further into Johto," the man explained with a triumphant smile. "Kanto's legends don't interest me as much anymore, so I'm expanding the organization. Of course, a _Kantonian Champion_ defending other regions will cause a political uproar."

The teen narrowed his eyes. "I can agree with that."

"And a mere Trainer breaking and entering into my headquarters…I can defend that in court, especially since equipment worth millions was broken," Giovanni continued, "but the Champion of Kanto is another story, isn't it?"

A nod from Ash affirmed the Team Rocket Boss's assertions.

"So _that's_ why you challenged the Elite Four. Smart boy," the businessman complimented, checking the time on his watch. "I'd like to continue our meaningful conversation, but I have a meeting overseas in an hour or so. The antidote to that sickness of yours is in a hole in that tree over there, by the way." Giovanni pointed to his left. "If you want to skip out on that party, you don't have to use it. I certainly would."

"Skip out on the party or use the antidote?" Ash asked.

"Both, I guess."

The young Trainer's attention drifted away from the man as he heard the sound of a helicopter becoming louder in the distance. He looked up, admiring the sleek, black shape crossing the afternoon sky. But as the teen turned back to face the businessman, he found that the Team Rocket Boss was long gone.

* * *

That night, Ash enjoyed the reception. He left early, though, because he didn't really feel like answering any more questions on how he caught a shiny Noctowl, why he Mega-Evolved so many of his Pokemon, or how his Greninja worked.

Nerds.

(The answer to all three questions was 'luck.')

Also, everyone from Misty to Iris (he was sure she was there just to insult him or something) and even Brock for some reason—although the Pokemon Doctor kept winking at him the entire evening—refused to talk to him and made the casual conversation he tried to have with Serena more awkward than it needed to be.

But whispering and weird looks aside, Ash began to feel the effects of sleep deprivation catching up on him, so he excused himself, jumped off the balcony, and left for Gary's couch.


	38. Epilogue

**Welp, here we are. I didn't think that we'd get to the end, to be honest.** **Thank you so much for all these years. Special thanks to Lillian Smith and InfernalFox, as always.**

 **I hope you all are ready to part with my take on Ash.**

 **It's time for him to move on, and I imagine _he_ thinks his ending is overdue as well.**

* * *

"Dewott, Water Gun in that corner! Boldore, help smooth out that wall!"

The new Champion of Kanto smiled as both Pokemon complied, helping each other clear the area for a concrete foundation. He strolled up to the mouth of the cave in satisfaction, catching a glimpse of his thirty Tauros—all stampeding through ice, snow, and rock to form a steep path.

Behind him, a group of Pokemon crowded behind a generator, a stack of solar panels, and a thick instruction manual. " _The electricity works,"_ Pikachu announced as the heater began to run.

"Great," Ash remarked. "At this rate, we'll be done by midnight."

" _Noivern, Hawlucha and I'll go get the fridge,"_ Talonflame volunteered, appearing beside her Trainer eagerly. With a beat of her wings, she lifted herself into the air, followed by her fellow Flying-Types. They swooped down into a steep dive, narrowly missing Donphan, who was using Rollout to make another entrance to the hideout. Next to her, Heracross single-handedly lifted a couch and brought it into the cave through the back entrance.

" _Carpet coming in!"_ Unfezant trilled, gliding in circles around the construction site. " _We're bringing it to the third floor!"_

Krookodile roared in affirmative, poking his upper body through a window. With a grin, Gliscor handed his roll of material to the Dark and Ground-Type.

Nearby, Quilava and Buizel took turns flattening a peak.

Pignite and Torkoal were pushing a dozing Snorlax down the ramp the Tauros had previously made to flatten the area. Behind them, Glalie and Gallade used Ice Beam and Cut to form stairs and make ice sculptures.

" _Blankets coming up!"_ Unfezant announced, her voice echoing throughout the construction site. " _We'll be able to stay up here for the night at this rate,"_ she remarked joyfully to Leavanny, who was stringing together fabric with some help from Servine.

" _The water pipes work!"_ Swellow, who was perched on a windowsill, informed Charizard, Sceptile, and Meganium, who were laying down the kitchen flooring. Noctowl helped by using Psychic to lay down rows of tiles in ornate patterns as Espeon mixed plaster in a bucket nearby.

"Are you sure the foundation is stable?" Ash asked Sceptile (for the fifth time that day) as he picked up and carried pieces of a door frame under his shoulders.

" _Of course. I've run plenty of simulations."_

"Even with the pool room?"

The Grass-Type fingered the Mega Stone around his neck absentmindedly. " _I have that considered. Did they remember the concrete and plastic?"_ he asked.

" _Yes we did,"_ Palpitoad spoke up, hopping around happily along with a smirk in his mouth.

Garchomp followed him, carrying a bundle of bedsheets and pillows in his arms. " _They actually remembered."_

The Forest Pokemon deemed his sources valid. " _Did we remember to string up the lightbulbs?"_ he wondered aloud.

"Yep," Ash replied, beginning to walk off with the doorframe. "They made it parallel like you instructed."

" _How about the bathroom?"_

The Trainer froze in his tracks. " _I knew_ we forgot something," he muttered.

* * *

It was one in the morning when the Mt. Silver hideout was finally completed. After a small celebration and a brief conversation with Moltres, Ash finally allowed himself to relax as he settled in his seat behind a metal desk and three monitor screens.

It was time to start his paperwork.

* * *

A week later, the Champion of Kanto was greeted with an angry knock at his door.

" _Ash, get the door,"_ Meganium called.

"'Kay!"

As the Trainer swung the handle behind him, he was met with a disappointed look on Gary's face.

"What did I do _this_ time?" he asked, amused.

"Lance told me to get you off the stupid mountain."

Ash closed the door to the entrance of his hideout behind him. "Wow. I got plenty of threatening messages from him, but I didn't think he would actually make you hike up here."

"Blaine has asked me to personally escort you off or he'll fry the entire place himself," the Gym Leader warned.

"That's a bluff."

"Sure," the other teen replied, tightening his winter coat and crossing his arms. "Now take some Pokemon and follow me. You need to socialize."

"I socialize," Ash protested.

"I meant, with Humans."

"I'm talking to _you_ , aren't I?"

The Researcher sighed. "I don't think anyone believes that floating above the highest mountain in the Kanto-Johto area is considered normal in a casual conversation. Plus, how do you even survive up here?! I'm freezing myself to death!" Gary exclaimed, jabbing a finger in the direction of the short-sleeved t-shirt Ash was wearing.

"It's actually a pretty warm day. I have no idea what you're talking about," the Aura adept replied, grinning.

"I'm going to use my Type advantage on you," Gary threatened in a non-menacingly.

"Fine, I'll tell you," the other Pallet Town Trainer conceded. "Just use your Psychic as a shield around you. And we have heaters in the base, so it's not that cold."

* * *

The interregional meeting was _not_ going well.

"Kanto's Champion does not feel this way," Lance argued, hitting his fist on the mahogany table to accentuate his argument. "He specifically said, 'Do you know how annoying it is to have three members of Team Rocket follow me on a daily basis?'"

"I see," Cynthia remarked, nodding sagely and gaining the attention of the room. "Kanto _has_ been active in disbanding gangs in the past. And since he's received a warning, you want _us_ to do something about it."

Steven shook his head. "I doubt that Team Rocket has set up in Hoenn. There have been no signs and no reports."

The black-clad Sinnohian Champion crossed her arms. "Is the Champion getting blackmailed? Who would have blackmail material on _Ash_?"

"Where is he, anyway?" Steven questioned.

Lance artfully ignored the two other members in the meeting. "Team Rocket has been in your regions," he informed. "Heck, both Ash and I were present when Team Magma and Aqua went through that whole Groudon-Kyogre fiasco. Steven, you owe us one."

"Wait, are you speaking as a representative of Kanto or Johto right now?" Cynthia asked.

"Johto, as the sister-region of Kanto," Lance continued, "has agreed to increase funding toward law enforcement."

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open. Ash walked in, carrying a large, black binder under his arm.

"Ash," Cynthia addressed the Champion of Kanto.

"Hello," Steven greeted cordially with a wave.

"Hey," the Pallet Town Trainer spoke up. "You all did get the email I sent about being late?"

"Yep," the Sinnohian Champion replied. "We understand the holdup."

"Oh yeah," Steven voiced his realization. " _That's_ where he went."

Ash grinned. "Alright, that's great." He opened up his binder and took a seat next to Lance. "Now, I'm sure you all were informed about my proposal. I have a few documentations of Team Rocket sightings in various regions, and although they've been turning their attention overseas for the most part in recent years, I'd like us to keep an open mind and start implementing more security measures, especially for our companies and police force. Can we all do that?"

"Sure," Cynthia replied.

"I don't see why not," Steven agreed.

Lance sighed.

* * *

Misty glared at the pair of Rocket Grunts. "You wanted to talk to challenge me?"

"Er, uh…"

"Uh, you see…"

"Come back when you have a legal Trainer's License!" the Cerulean City Gym Leader shouted.

At the sound of her voice, Starmie immediately sprung into action, using Hydro Pump to blast the two Grunts into the air.

The Water-Type Trainer smiled at her ace. "Good job," she complimented.

"Psyayayay!"

"Oh, to you too, Psyduck," she added on, (even though the Duck Pokemon hadn't really contributed in all aspects but moral support).

"Next Challenger!" she called out.

"Hey Misty," Ash greeted the Gym Leader, casually walking up to her with a slight grin on his face. "Good job with those Grunts."

The Water-Type Trainer chose to ignore her old traveling companion. "So. You've finally decided to stop isolating yourself," she remarked.

"Actually, Gary is forcing me to," Ash admitted sheepishly. "He's going to dump me into Blaine's volcano if I don't come down and talk to someone."

"He's right, you know. What are you even planning to do now that you're Champion?"' Misty asked.

"Mimey won some tickets to some tropical vacation, so I'll be scouting out the region for a weekend next month," Ash explained. "I've talked to the Elite Four about it, of course. We're trying to establish some trade between Kanto and Alola, but their government system isn't very…" he paused, searching for the right word, "centralized, so I haven't been able to get in touch with them. Uh, I'm scouting the place out, I guess. And going on a date with my mom."

The Water-Type Trainer crossed her arms. " _Of course_ you are. I bet you'll enjoy your little vacation while _I_ lose to beginner Trainers by sending Psyduck into battle."

"Hey, I'll still be taking calls from people with my PokeNav. So if you ever want to rant about anything, feel free to call."

"Very funny. You should go say hi to Tracey," the Gym Leader suggested, lightening up. "I don't think you've seen him in quite a while. Oh, and check up on that Serena girl while you're at it. She headed back to Hoenn, but you have her number, right? Friends don't just stop communicating once they don't see each other anymore."

Ash flushed (more out of embarrassment than hormones, because, let's face it. Ash is romantically hopeless.) "Thanks, Misty," he finally spoke up.

"Now, get out of my Gym before I kill you with my mallet!" the Water-Type Gym Leader shouted, pulling out said mallet from...somewhere. "You're making my _actual_ Challengers wait!"

As the Trainer raced out of the building, calling out his Staraptor, a crowd started to form once they recognized the familiar face of their Champion.

"It's Ash!" a teenage girl shouted before sighing deeply.

"Ash!" a boy—the Trainer from Pallet Town recognized him as Raimund (the guy who liked to wear red)—echoed. "Wow, you exist!"

" _I'm internally reveling in your distress,"_ Staraptor spoke up.

"Sheesh," Ash replied, keeping his voice low. "Please take me to Oak's, like, now."

" _Which one?"_ the Normal and Flying-Type asked.

"The Professor!"

" _I'm pretty sure they're_ _both_ _professors by now."_

"I don't think Gary is, though…yet."

" _Alright,"_ Staraptor conceded. " _Was just messing with you. Let's go."_

* * *

Ash was studying, which was actually a rare sight to see. He had been signed up—against his will—for online classes at Castelia University in government, international relations, and Trainer studies. Anyway, he'd decided to cut his sudden bank account losses (wonder how _that_ happened?) by listening to his Servine's advice to "just do it."

"Wait, I'm pretty sure you used to say your attacks aloud," the Trainer spoke up, addressing his Starter, who was lazing around on a nearby couch. Mt. Silver was pretty empty that day—most of his Pokemon had gone out to patrol the region for Rocket Grunts—so Ash was able to enjoy the lack of shouting for the first time that week as he typed up all the possible moves a Smeargle could learn (which was…pretty much everything, 'cause...Sketch).

" _Some Pokemon do,"_ Pikachu replied. " _In fact, I do it sparingly. But no, we can't anticipate the moves of another Pokemon. Usually, that shouting you hear me do is just for me to release energy more efficiently. I guess it's the 'Pokemon' version for words like 'Hiyah!' or 'Ha!'"_

"Thanks," the Trainer replied, scribbling something down on his scratch paper. "By the way, what move do you learn at level 42?"

" _I don't understand that question. What are 'levels?' I do get more powerful in increments, but I don't think whatever leveling system they have now has a genuine real-world application, especially since it's not completely accurate. Which question was that?"_ Pikachu asked.

"18. I also don't know number 23. How do eggs come into the world?"

" _They're personally created by Arceus, I think. What else do you need to know?"_

* * *

It was a beautiful morning at the local Daycare. Twenty young Pokemon crowded around a certain Dragon-Type, climbing all over his fins and dozing against his tail.

" _Professor Oak asked the boy to pick a Pokemon,_ " Garchomp read aloud, flipping a page with his claws. "' _Which Pokemon do you want?' he asked. The Trainer said, 'If it's okay with you, Professor, I'd like this Clefairy.' Then, the Fairy-Type stole the Professor's wig!"_

The Rufflet laughed so hard he fell on his back. Chikorita started to giggle, and Bellsprout jumped up and down for more.

* * *

"The Pokemon World Explained," Ash read the book title aloud, casting an inquisitive look at the now renowned author.

"I know," Gary replied, smirking. "In the back, there's even a section on the validity of the entire book. I mentioned you as a source."

"Practically your only source," the other Pallet Town Trainer remarked, crossing his arms and gazing down at the Training Grounds of what had been dubbed as the 'Mountain,' where Infernape was being a very good drill sergeant.

"Hey! I had Umbreon, Dodrio, Nidoking, grandpa, Professor Ivy and Birch—"

"It's pretty obvious that I gave you most of your resources."

* * *

Sceptile and Meganium stood at the edge of the Training Grounds' cliff, casually chatting and laughing. The setting sun illuminated their silhouettes as it cast a glow on the scenery.

" _Teach me your ways,"_ Dewott whispered, sighing intently.

Next to him, Servine promptly used Vine Whip to shut him up, smiling internally as she began to drag her fellow Unovian Starter away from her fellow Grass-Types.

* * *

As Ash continued to shift through his paperwork at his desk—the Champion had been adamant about building new schools in the region—Torterra lazed around, watching the sun set in the distance.

" _Giovanni knows you're Red,"_ the Grass-Type suddenly spoke up, shifting his position to peek at his Trainer from half-closed eyes. " _You don't know his next move, do you?"_

"I've convinced Champions around here to step up their gang catching. The Jenny's have been more strict at the airports and have caught so many attempts to get back into Kanto," Ash replied, shrugging.

" _Do you have a plan?"_ the Grass-Type asked. " _I know it costs more money, but it's worth it."_

"I have an army of Tauros."

" _No offense,"_ Dan the Tauros spoke up, walking into the hideout at that second, " _but we aren't your army. We're your ninja-assassin-fighter-warrior clan."_

"Same difference."

Torterra huffed.

"Fine," Ash conceded, "I'll install surveillance cameras around Indigo Plateau for the Silver Conference. But I'm pretty sure they're not going to show up. After all, Giovanni kinda promised."

* * *

Servine had been volunteered by Ash's Grass-Type community to ask Bulbasaur (who was still at the lab) about Grass-Type strategies. The two Starters were helping rebuild the Pallet Town, using their vines to move planks of wood from one place to another.

"Vine Whip is a secure way to move between platforms, especially when dealing with swimming pools and lava pits," Bulbasaur advised. "And I know a Razor Leaf secret. Come over sometime and I'll show it to you. Another thing is that you always want a way to heal yourself, so that you'll seem more annoying, and once they send out a Fire-Type, use Toxic. Even better, Sleep Powder. Wish and Protect are also good combinations. Oh, and for water stages, don't be afraid to Stun Spore the entire pool."

The other Grass-Type nodded through the screen of the stolen PokeNav, taking mental notes. "How about Bug-Types?"

"Just don't let them move. They can usually fly, so Vine Whip or Leech Seed are good moves before you hit them with status. I particularly like Frenzy Plant—"

"You know Frenzy Plant?!" The Unova Starter interrupted, gaping. "You _have_ to teach me!"

* * *

"So…you're Dan?" Ash asked, pointing at the leftmost Tauros in front of him.

" _Nope. I'm Don. Dan's the third from your right."_

The Trainer pointed again. "You're Dan?"

" _Yep."_

"So it's Don, Dave, David, Daniel, Dylan, Dean, Drew, _Dan_ , Denny, and...Danny."

" _Yep."_

"Where's the herd leader?"

" _Oh, you mean Sally. He's in the back."_

"Ah, I see. Wait, but there are times when other Pokemon call you guys different names, right?"

Dave the Tauros nodded. " _It's a way of acknowledging the community for those who aren't as familiar. Like, I'm Dave from the Taro herd. So I'm Davetaro."_

"Okay, so I definitely don't have to memorize all that," the teen remarked, trying to process it all. "So how do I remember who's who? Like, do you have any tips or tricks?"

" _It's just like how you know the difference between Swellow and Staravia."_

"You're not helping."

* * *

"Some kid blew up my Gym," Lt. Surge reported, staring down at the glaring Pikachu clinging onto the Champion's shoulder. "Need money for renovations, cuz plummeting his Pokemon didn't really fix anything."

"Don't we give you a salary?" Ash asked. "Sabrina hasn't asked for money in years. And Gary built _his_ Gym from scratch with his prize money. There's even a cool puzzle you have to solve before you battle him."

" _And yours,"_ the electric mouse added, addressing his Trainer.

" _Shut up."_

"Well, we _do_ give Gym Leaders a hundred thousand Poke each year for Gym renovations," Lance added. "The problem is, we don't give it out until January. Surely you can wait that long."

* * *

" _Ash…"_

"Go do what you have to do," the Trainer spoke up, addressing his Gallade.

" _Thank you,"_ the Blade Pokemon replied. " _Sorry for…not telling you anything."_

Ash took out a Pokeball from one of his pockets, handing it over to the Psychic and Fighting-Type. "It's alright. As long as you're okay with it, I'll be. And come back at any time."

" _We might be on opposite sides of the field, though."_

The Trainer brightened, giving his Pokemon a determined look. "Don't worry, we won't hold back! You better be training, then, because we'll be ready for you!"

" _Alright, I guess I'd better start preparing. Thank you once again,_ _sir_ _,"_ Gallade replied, using the old nickname he once used for his friend.

With one last bow of reverence and respect, the Blade Pokemon Teleported away, off on a new adventure.

* * *

Pikachu huffed. " _You ignored me in Kalos. Replaced me with that frog, who—you tell him this—I can plummet_ _any_ _day!"_

"Will you stop bringing that up?! I've already apologized, and you're making me feel more guilty than I'm supposed to be!"

* * *

"Welcome to the first annual Fuchsia City Battle Tournament! We are pleased to announce that the winner will be privileged with the opportunity to battle our Champion, Ash, in a one-on-one battle!"

The embarrassed Trainer, who was sitting in the press box, sheepishly waved to the audience and made his Pikachu laugh.

"It seems like you're always making fun of me," Ash remarked. "For that, I think Dewott gets that winner's battle."

" _No._ _Please_ _no, I'll do anything…"_

Charizard grunted. " _I thought_ _I_ _was battling."_

Next to him, Sceptile's eyes lit up. " _She has a well-balanced team,"_ he commented, pointing a finger at a Trainer with light-brown hair and a white fedora.

" _I like the guy with the hair net,"_ Garchomp opinionated, shrugging. " _He has potential."_

" _Please. You've gotten soft from babysitting,"_ Pikachu rolled his eyes. " _We need Infernape to make you run ten miles after this."_

The mentioned Pokemon smirked as the Dragon and Ground-Type visibly took a step in the other direction.

* * *

As Ash and Pikachu were enjoying a nice stroll through Viridian Forest, alone, they were suddenly met with a familiar-looking pit trap.

"Wow," the Trainer muttered almost sarcastically, rubbing his backside. "Wonder who could've done _this_."

"If you ask who we are, prepare for trouble!"

"We'll tell you our names as we make it double!"

" _I'm surprised we've managed to avoid those idiots for such a long time,"_ Pikachu remarked.

"Not long enough," his Trainer groaned.

"With beauty so radiant, the flowers and moon hide in shame! A single flower of evil blooming in this fleeting world: Jessie!"

"The dashing and gallant hero! An evil apostle for revenge against this tragic world! It's James."

"It's all fer one and one fer all! A small, dark star glimmering amongst good friends! Meowth shines bright!"

"Team Rocket takes flight!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"That's right!"

" _Wobbuffet!"_

Ash blinked in surprise. "Pikachu, say something," he instructed.

" _Huh?"_

"So I'm _not_ going crazy. He's just stating his name."

" _Who?"_

"Wobbuffet," the Trainer answered, clutching his head.

" _Oh yeah. He does that."_

"Hi, Twerp!" Jessie called out, looking down at the duo. "Do you like our new motto? We're still working on it!"

"Jessie!" James reprimanded his teammate. "You're being impolite! Let _me_ handle this." He cleared his throat. "We're just here to tell you that we're off on a mission in another region, so we won't see each other anymore! This is goodbye!"

"Yeah, goodbye!" Meowth echoed.

" _I am Wobbuffet!"_ Wobbuffet cheered.

"Wait, what?" Ash asked, shouting (because the hole was pretty deep). "You're leaving?"

" _Which region?"_ Pikachu asked.

"Going ta some tropical islands!" Meowth answered. "It's a shame ya can't come, too. We'll miss chasing ya around, Pikachu!"

"Bye, Twerp!" Jessie called out. "We'll miss your annoying, self-righteous face!"

"We're fresh outta training and ready for da world!" Meowth shouted. "Da Boss says we're moving outta Kanto but we'll try to visit!"

"Awww, he missed us," Jessie remarked, addressing her teammates.

"How old is he by now?" James asked, wiping at the tears falling uncontrollably from his face. "Sixteen? It's like watching a baby grow up."

Meowth cast one last glance at the speechless Champion before looking away. "You ready ta go? Da balloon is ready!"

"Let's leave!" Jessie announced.

"Turn over a new leaf!" James exclaimed happily.

" _I am Wobbuffet!"_

Once the quartet had finally left, their voices fading off into the distance, Ash let himself relax against the dirt wall. A Diglett dug past, ignoring the Trainer and Pokemon.

"Huh. Well, _that_ happened. I'd forgotten how eccentric they were."

Pikachu nodded. " _Yeah."_

"On the bright side, we won't be seeing them for a while."

" _You're right. Now, uh...how do we get out of these, again? I've forgotten."_

* * *

In an unnamed forest of Kalos, a certain Water and Dark-Type took a break from vine-slashing by immersing himself in a handheld video game.

" _Teach me how to play, señor,"_ Gallade spoke up, looking over Greninja's shoulder and shocking his teammate. The Ninja Pokemon had almost fallen from the tree branch he was sitting in at the Psychic and Fighting-Type's sudden Teleport.

The Water and Dark-Type laughed. " _So you start out as a character named Red—but of course, you can change your name…"_

* * *

Ash couldn't help but notice that the Mountain had become almost too peaceful. Apart from the occasional ( _very_ occasional) Trainer who wanted a shot at the Champion's team, no other Human (besides Gary and an angry Misty) would even attempt to climb up the higher levels of the mountain range.

The Trainer hadn't seen or heard of any sign of regional Team Rocket activities in the last month, which was a monumental first in quite a few years. (The 'Terrible Trio-plus-Wobbuffet' didn't count.) He planned to bring it up in the monthly Gym Leader meeting a few weeks later along with plans to deter people from joining criminal organizations, especially those in need of income.

A few days ago, he had fought a guy with a Darkrai, taking him down easily with Sceptile (seriously, people with Darkrai battled against him way too often). It had been a quick battle, especially with the Trainer on the verge of fainting from the long hike, but Ash couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

A week ago, Gary had received a Pokegear call from Paul, who had been demanding a battle with the Champion (apparently, news spread quickly in the Kanto-Johto-Hoenn-Sinnoh area). Gary had told the Trainer, in the place of his childhood friend and rival, to 'get up the Mountain and I'll battle.'

He realized that there were more Pokemon to explore. Maybe they would be waiting for him at another region. The Alola Region, maybe? He _was_ pretty excited for that vacation (which he definitely deserved). And Pikachu would have to lose to another Snivy.

Heh, that was a funny thought. Ash would have to convince him with ketchup.

* * *

"Alola Region," Ash read the pamphlet aloud to an excited Sylveon. "What do you think? I'll have to leave you guys at the Mountain, but everyone can take care of a stray Trainer or two. Plus, Infernape can keep you all in shape."

" _Ash,"_ Vivi spoke up.

"Yeah?"

Vivi held out a ribbon for her Trainer to take. " _I want to travel, too."_

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, letting the Fairy-Type's ribbon wrap around his hand.

" _I want to explore the world…maybe find my fellow Eevee or a way to permanently evolve. You know."_

Her Trainer smiled. "Yeah. I get that."

" _I'm still an Eevee, and it's time for me to decide my future,"_ Vivi decided confidently. " _But I'll come back when I'm stronger!"_ she promised.

Ash nodded. "Alright, I guess we're both going on our respective journeys, then. Good luck!"

* * *

"Red," the Kanto Trainer introduced himself, shaking the other Trainer's hand on the steps leading to the Viridian Gym. "And you are?"

"Brendan," the other teen replied. "I'm from Hoenn. Professor Birch's son."

"I see. So you're a Pokemon Trainer too?" Ash asked.

"Yup. My partner's Swampert," he pointed to the Mud Fish Pokemon who was conversing with a Pikachu on the other side of the road about the weather.

"Huh. That's my Pikachu it's talking to."

There was a slight pause of silence.

"So, are you collecting badges?" Ash asked.

"Yup," Brendan replied. "Well, I mostly go to the Battle Tower now because honestly, traveling can be a pain sometimes."

The Champion of Kanto reflected on his journey. He'd been rained upon, chased down by Legendaries, possessed, and even sick (he counted that one to be the worst because when he was sick, he couldn't do _anything_ ). But still, there were some rewarding parts, like fighting in Gym battles and camping outside under the stars.

He forced himself to stop thinking. The League year would start again in only three weeks, and he still had some forms to fill…

"—but now, I think that I'll try their Battle Tower this year, or the Kanto League," Brendan finished.

Ash realized that he had just missed a bit of conversation. "I'll see you there, then," Ash replied, smiling implicitly.

"Oh, so you're competing too?"

"Something like that."

Gary walked out of his Gym. "Hey," he greeted.

"Thanks for the battle," Brendan replied, waving.

"What happened?" Ash asked before taking a sip out of the water bottle he was holding.

"I beat him. None of his Pokemon were a match against Swampert," the Trainer answered, crossing his arms and grinning

Gym Leader raised up his hands to defend himself. "Hey, in my defense, I asked him, 'How many badges do you have?' And he said, 'In Kanto? None.' So I thought, 'Maybe I'll use Nidoqueen and Nidoking to give him a good Type Advantage.'"

"Gary's a new Gym Leader," Ash explained. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

The Researcher gave his childhood friend a weird look. "But you _never_ know what you're talking about and you're the—"

Ash purposely bumped into the other Pallet Town Trainer. " _Please, no. He'll be asking for autographs."_

" _Wha—"_

" _I told him my name was Red."_

" _That's practically lying!"_

Ash threw his water bottle at Gary. It 'caught on the wind' and instead hit the Champion's side.

The Trainer had a sneaking suspicion that Gary had used Psychic but couldn't prove it.

"If all the Gyms in Kanto are that easy, I'll become Champion in no time," Brendan thought aloud, and the other Trainers glanced at each other for a second.

"Heh. For a moment, you kinda sounded like that Trainer I battled the other week," Ash remarked, shrugging. "Ethan, was it? Anyway, gotta go. I'm heading to Hoenn to watch a friend's performance."

"I've heard that the Coordinators have gotten pretty competitive, there," Brendan commented as the Trainer walked off. "I'm from Hoenn myself, you see."

"I can tell," Gary remarked, looking at the Swampert on the side on the road.

* * *

"Sabrina's such an awesome person," Gary fantasized. "She's so powerful, yet she has a degree of understanding. Like, there was this time when we were throwing boulders at people on Route 18…okay, not the best example—"

"She tried to enslave me as one of her dolls once," Ash replied. "Very friendly."

"How's _your_ training?" the Pokemon Researcher asked.

"I still haven't managed to find Riley, so I'm stuck with self-learning. And being creative. And Sceptile. It's funny, 'cause I don't even know how half the stuff I do works. Actually, I doubt Riley would even want to teach me 'cause I've been so reckless with Aura."

"Heh. At least your Pokemon are helping you. _My_ Pokemon beg me not to use them in Gym battles. They're so lazy."

"Really? I can relate. Before the Kalos Team appeared, they were really laid back."

"You really stepped up your game there."

The Champion laughed aloud. "Just went against a bunch of Megas. No biggie. By the way, how's Mega Blastoise doing?"

"He almost tore off my roof yesterday; thanks for asking."

"And Mega Alakazam?"

"I think he knows the shape of the universe now, understands general relativity, and can do a bunch of math I don't understand. But that's okay. He still promises to battle at least once a week. Wants to publish a book, too."

* * *

"See, I did not totally ignore you in Kalos," Ash argued, putting his feet up on his desk.

" _Yes you did. It took like three snowballs to make you realize I was importa—"_

"How did you know about the snowballs?" the Trainer interrupted.

Pikachu reached for another Oran Berry from the fruit bowl. " _Uhhh, Noivern told me."_

" _I didn't do that,"_ said Dragon and Flying-Type muttered.

The Kanto Champion shook his head, clearly offended by the snowball comment. "He's more normal than you. Therefore, you're lying."

" _Greninja did it! He also gets his games from a Klefki on the black market!"_

"What's that supposed to mean?"

" _He told me he'd get me the newest console but he_ _still_ _hasn't gotten to that!"_

"Oh, so _that's_ what this is all about. Wait, why are you blaming _me_ for Greninja's forgetfulness?"

* * *

"Hello?" a Pokemon Trainer asked, standing outside the Lumiose Gym and knocking on the door. There was a giant 'CLOSED' sign at the entrance, but the teen didn't pay much attention to it.

A blonde girl answered the door.

"Ash!" Bonnie exclaimed, excited. "Are you here for a battle?"

"Nah. I'm just visiting today. Going to see Serena's contest afterward."

"Kay. Hey, Pikachu!" she greeted the electric mouse before turning to Ash's ride. "Hi, Noivern!"

"So where's your brother?" the Trainer asked.

"Being his antisocial self back in the Gym. I think he just lost to some newbie who used a level five Chespin."

"Poor him," Ash remarked. "Wait, you mentioned that it was 'level 5,' right? Does Kalos use the new proposed 'Pokemon Leveling System,' too?"

"Professor Sycamore says that in a few years we'll be able to calculate a number of experience points a Pokemon gets for battling. I think he found a formula for Fennekin already."

"Amazing," the Kanto Trainer marveled, then looked to Noivern. "Say, why don't we get some ice cream?"

The Dragon-Type shuddered. " _But…"_

"Not for you, silly. For Bonnie."

" _Oh."_

"Plus, you spend most of your time up at the Mountain, anyway. You're like, Ice-Type resistant already."

* * *

In Ash's opinion, the trip was a success. He had surprised Serena at the end of her performance, and she fussed over him for a few minutes in an angry tone as she realized that he'd been watching her. So while she was having a mental breakdown, he complimented her ballet/jazz routine, but not after pointing out that Kalosian dances were 'too hard to understand anyway.'

" _You're_ too hard to understand," Serena retorted, still in a flustered mood for some reason.

" _No one else sees this couple?"_ Hawlucha asked. " _No one?"_

" _Hawlucha, after the word 'couple,' you need a noun to specify what there is a couple of,"_ Ash commented.

Pikachu snickered.

* * *

"I don't think we've ever just played in the park as a team," Ash told his Kalosian Pokemon Team. Goodra and Greninja had joined them for the evening.

" _I think we have,"_ Talonflame shrugged, unperturbed. " _Once or twice."_

Pikachu shrugged. " _You know, before coming to this region, Ash has always had a monthly break from training for relaxing purposes._ _No wonder_ _all of you are tryhards who don't know how to play."_

" _I brought my card decks and coins,"_ Noivern announced with pride.

" _Oh yes! I shall beat everyone at the great game of six-way TCG!"_ Hawlucha pointed a fist into the air.

" _Please, boys. All your egos need a pound,"_ Talonflame announced, smirking.

Pikachu glanced at Ash with a confused expression, and his Trainer shrugged.

"I'll deal the cards," the teen volunteered.

" _Loser gets a 1v6,"_ Greninja suggested.

Talonflame narrowed her eyes. " _Then we'll have to make either Greninja or Ash lose so the rest of us don't get beat up."_

" _Countering Ash-Greninja is easy,"_ Pikachu remarked, amused.

"You're an Electric-Type. _Of course_ you think it's easy," Ash replied, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish look.

" _But Greninja's too hard to hate on,"_ the Scorching Pokemon admitted. " _He'll somehow just miss being last."_

The Ninja Pokemon sat down, clasping his webbed fingers together as he tried to act sage-like. " _You see here, hate...is the...opposite of love, and because of this, you guys, y'know, shouldn't hate…"_

Hawlucha snickered. Noivern shook his head in disappointment.

" _I give up."_

" _That was a horrible proverb. Noctowl can give you advice,"_ the Fire and Flying-Type suggested.

" _Wait,"_ the Sound Wave Pokemon spoke up. " _Since we're not going bully Greninja, who will we team up against?"_

Everyone's heads turned to their Trainer.

* * *

"My name is Tess, and I challenge you, Champion!" a girl suddenly shouted, walking up to the group. Ash was losing the game _badly_.

"Woah, hold it," the Trainer instructed his Pokemon, who were about to put down their cards for the next round. "I'm not the Champion of Kalos," he told the girl. "And I think Diantha's in Snowbelle right now."

"You're not?" she asked, confused, before crossing her arms. "I don't believe you. My brother said that you were the Champion, and Tobias is always right."

The Kantonian Champion raised an eyebrow. "So you're brother is _the_ Tobias, huh?"

"He said he lost to you earlier, and I don't believe it."

"Wait, _your brother_ was the one who challenged me a week ago?" Ash asked.

"You won't lose against me and Cresselia!" Tess announced, ignoring the question.

The Trainer forced himself not to double over in shock. "Uh, w-wait a second. I need to get my Pokemon." He turned around, cupping his fingers and lifting his hand to his mouth. "Guys, get over here! We have a challenge!"

" _But it's just a little girl,"_ Hawlucha replied. " _Hurting little kids' feelings isn't morally right."_

" _Fine. I guess I'll just use Pikachu against Cresselia, then."_

" _YES PLEASE!"_

Greninja looked visibly hurt. "Ah, _wait, I have the Type advantage..."_

* * *

Giovanni crossed the mountains of Unova, motivated by nothing but an old series of picture books accounting a long-lost bedtime story of a young Unovian Champion's demise.

He was sure the premise was very real...at least, in another world.

* * *

Ash's team had grown after their journey together. It was a shame that they'd also grown separated.

Pidgeot kept the peace in Viridian Forest alongside Gary's Fearow.

Talonflame and the rest of Ash's remaining main regional Flying-Types (Noctowl, Swellow, Staravia, and Unfezant) had left the Mountain in order to train, bond, and explore the Kanto-Johto regions. Lead by their senior, Swellow, the group had their eyes set on getting stronger.

Vivi had left on her journey.

Garchomp had started his new job at the Pokemon Daycare and rarely spent much time at Oak's Corral and the Mountain. The baby Pokemon expected him daily and loved his visits.

Sceptile had started a nice relationship with Meganium. The Grass-Types could rarely be seen without the other—whether they were eating, training, or relaxing—and loved to decimate their opponents with their Double Battle strategies.

Gallade had gone looking for his old Trainer—the one Team Rocket had stolen him from. After bidding Ash a tearful goodbye, he'd set off for Kalos, carrying his Pokeball with him.

Infernape had been appointed by Ash's Pokemon as the drill sergeant and overseer of the Pokemon training at Mt. Silver whenever their Trainer was gone—which was practically every day. He also trained teams for Mt. Silver Challengers whenever the Champion was busy with political duties and meetings. On weekends, he, Torterra, and Daro the Tauros could be seen hanging out on the shore of Vermillion City or Cinnabar Island.

Charizard had left for the Charicific Valley and for Charla.

And Pikachu? He was perched on his Trainer's shoulder, intimidating a Challenger clad in red, black, and yellow with a determined, calculating stare.

" _He'll use his Starter last,"_ the Electric-Type muttered to his Trainer. " _And he'll choose a counter to me first."_

" _Definitely an offensive Trainer,"_ Ash replied with his Aura. " _And yeah, I agree. He'll save his Typhlosion for the end."_

" _Hmmm. Get's confident easily,"_ the Mouse Pokemon nodded. " _Choose Buizel and throw him off."_

" _Maybe."_ The Trainer took a Pokeball from his belt. " _I don't want to use you until the end. Do you think he has a Mega this time?"_

" _Well,_ _you_ _do. It doesn't really matter."_

" _That's not the point,"_ Ash replied, smirking at his opponent. "Buizel, come on out!"

* * *

 **Well, he's headed for Alola, now.**

 **(On the bright side, a "sequel" will be out, like, next week.)**

 **(Edit: It's out now.)**

 **Peace out, and we (Ash and I) shall see you on the other side.**

 **~Cress**


End file.
